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Peter’s journey to the Land of Flight.— Chap, xxr 


LIFE AND adventures 



BOSTON; 

PUBLISHED BY J. SHAW & J. Q- ADAMS. 
1835. 





THE 


LIFE AND ADVENTURES 

OF 


PETER WILKINS; 


V\t' 

AN ACCOUNT OF IHS TT«1T TO THE FLVKCO 
l‘»LANPEUS, TAKEN FROM HIS OWN MOUTH, IN 
HIS PASSAGE TO ENGLAND, FROM OFF 
CAPE HORN, IN AMERICA, IN 
THE SHIP HECTOR 


BY R. S. 

A PASSENGER IN THE HECTOR. 



IMPROVED EDITION. 

* > ' 


BOSTON : 

PUBLISHED FOR THE TR ADE. 

i835. 







A /n. 

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ADVERTISEMENT. 


In preparing the present edition of ‘ The 
Adventures of Peter Wilkins’ for the press, 
the Editor has omitted certain gross passa- 
ges, which however tolerable at the period 
when the work was first published, are by 
no means suited to the present improved 
state of public sentiment and taste. 

He has also ventured to omit several of 
the minute and uninteresting details, and 
the long dialogues and soliloquies in which 
the author is rather too apt to indulge ; re- 
taining only such parts of this beautiful and 
highly imaginative romance as are calcu- 
lated to interest the general reader, and 
carefully excluding whatever might offend 
the chastest mind. 



'' 4 :- 


INTRODUCTION. 


It might be looked upon as impertinent 
in me, who am about to give the life of 
another, to trouble the reader with any 
of my own concerns, or the affairs that led 
me into the South Seas. Therefore, I shall 
only acquaint him, that in my return on 
board the Hector, as a passenger, round 
Cape Horn, for England, full late in the 
season, the wind and currents setting strong 
against us, our ship drove more southerly, 
by several degrees, than the usual course 
even to the latitude of 75 or 76; when the 
wind chopping about, we began to resume 
our intended way. It was about the middle 
of June, when the days are there at the 
shortest, on a very starry and moonlight 
night, that we observed at some distance a 
very black cloud, but seemingly of no ex- 
traordinary size or height, moving very fast 
towards us, and seeming to follow the ship, 
which then made great way. Every one 
on deck was very curious in observing its 
motions; and perceiving it frequently to 
divide, and presently to close again, and 


6 


INTRODUCTION. 


not to continue long in any determined 
shape, our captain, who had never before 
been so far to the southward as he then 
found himself, had many conjectures what 
this phenomenon might portend; and every 
one offering his own opinion, it seemed at 
last to be generally agreed, that there 
might possibly be a storm gathering in the 
air, of which this was the prognostic ; and 
by its following, and nearly keeping pace 
with us, we were in great fear lest it should 
break upon and overwhelm us, if not care- 
fully avoided. Our commander, therefore, 
as it approached nearer and nearer, order- 
ed one of the ship’s guns to be fired, to try 
if the percussion of the air would disperse 
it. This was no sooner done, than we 
heard a prodigious flounce in the water, 
at but a small distance from the ship, on 
the weather-quarter ; and after a violent 
noise, or cry in the air, the cloud, that upon 
our firing dissipated,seemed to return again, 
but by degrees disappeared. Whilst we \Yere 
all very much surprised at this unexpected 
accident, I, being naturally very curious 
and inquisitive into the causes of all unusu- 
al incidents, begged the captain to send the 
boat, to see, if possible, what it was that had 
fallen from the cloud, and offered myself to 
make one in her. He was much against 
this at first, as it would retard his voyage, 
now we were going so smoothly before the 


INTRODUCTION. 


7 


wind. But id the Inidst Of our debate^ 
we plainly heard a voice calling out for 
help, in our own tongue like a person in 
great distress. I then insisted on going, 
and not suffOring a fellow-creature to per- 
ish for the sake of a trifling delay. In com- 
pliance with my resolute demand, he slack- 
ened sailj and hoisting out the boat, my^ 
self and seven others made to the cry,- and 
soon found it to come from an elderly man, 
labouring for life, with his arms across sev- 
eral long poles, of equal size at both ends, 
very light, and tied to each other in a very 
odd manner . The sailors at first were very 
fearful of assisting or coming near him, 
crying to each other. He must be a mon- 
ster ! and, perhaps, might overset the boat 
and destroy them ; but hearing him speak 
English, I Was very angry with them for 
their foolish apprehensions, and caused 
them to clap their oars under him, and at 
length we got him into the boat. He had 
an extravagant beard, and also long black- 
ish hair upon his head. As soon as he 
could speak, (for he was almost spent) he 
very familiarly took me by the hand, I hav- 
ing set myself close by him to observe him, 
and squeezing it, thanked me very kindly 
for my civility to him, and likewise thanked 
all the sailors. I then asked him by what 
possible accident he came there; but he 
shook his head, declining to satisfy my cu- 


8 


INTRO DUeXIOX. 


riosity. Hereupon reflecting that it might 
just then be troublesome for him to speak, 
and that we should have leisure enough in 
our voyage for him to relate, and me to 
hear, his story, (which, from the surprising 
manner of his falling amongst us, I could 
not but believe would contain something ve- 
ry remarkable) I waved any farther speech 
with him at that time. 

We had him to the ship, and taking off 
his wet clothes, put him to bed in my cab- 
in; and I having a large provision of stores 
on board, and no concern in the ship, grew 
very fond of him, and supplied him with 
every thing he wanted. In our frequent 
discourses together, he had several times 
dropped loose hints of his past transactions, 
which but the more inflamed me with impa- 
tience to hear the whole of them. About 
this time, having just begun to double the 
Cape, our captain thought of watering at 
the first convenient place; and finding the 
stranger had no money to pay his passage, 
and that he had been from England no less 
than thirty- five years, despairing of his re- 
ward for conducting him thither, he inti- 
mated to him that he must expect to be put 
on shore to shift for himself, when we put 
in for water. This entirely sunk the stran- 
ger’s spirits and gave me great concern; 
insomuch, that I fully resolved, if the cap- 
tain sliould really prove such a brute, to 


INTRODUCTIOV, 


9 


take the payment of his passage on myselt. 
As we came near to the destined water- 
ing, the captain spoke the plainer of his in- 
tentions, (for I had nor vet hinted my de- 
sign to him or any one else;) and one morn- 
ing the stranger came into my cabin, with 
tears in his eyes, telling me, he verily be- 
lieved the captain would be as good as his 
word, and sot him on shore, which he very 
much dreaded. I did not choose to tell 
him immediately what I designed in his 
favour, but asked him if he could think 
cf no way of satisfying the captain, or any 
one else who might thereupon be induced 
to engage for him; and farther, how he ex- 
pected to live when he should get to Eng- 
land, a man quite forgotten and pennyless. 
Hereupon he told me he had, ever since 
his being on board, considering his desti- 
tute condition, entertained a thought of 
having his adventures written ; which, as 
there was something so uncommon in them, 
he was sure the world would be glad to 
know ; and he had flattered himself with 
hopes of raising somewhat by the sale of 
them' to put him in a way of living ; but as 
it was plain now he should never see Eng- 
land without my assistance, if I would an- 
swer for his passage, and write his life, ho 
would communicate to me a faithful narra^ 
live thereof, w'hich he believed would pay 
jr.e to the full any charge I might be at orji 


10 


INTRODUCTION. 


his account. I was very well pleased with 
this overture, not from the prospect of gain 
by the copy, but from the expectation I had 
of being fiilly satisfied in what I had so 
long desired to know ; so I told him I 
would make him easy in that respect. This 
quite transported him ; he caressed me 
and called me his deliverer, and was then 
going open-mouthed to the captain to tell 
him so. But I put a stop to that : For 
says I, though I insist upon hearing youi 
story, the captain may yet relent of his pur 
pose, and not leave you on shore ; and if 
that should prove the case, I shall neithei 
part with my money for you, nor you with 
your interest in your adventures to me 
Whereupon he agreed I was right, and de 
sisted. 

When we had taken in best part of oui 
water, and the boat was going its last turn 
the captain ordered up the strange man, r.s 
they called him, and told him he must go 
on board the boat, which was to leave him 
on shorq with some few provisions. I hap- 
pened to hear nothing of these orders, they 
were so sudden, the poor man was afraid 
after all, he should have been hurried to 
land W’ithout my knowledge ; but begging 
very hard of the captain only for leave to 
speak with me before he went, I was cal 
led, (though with some reluctance, for 
me captain disliked me for the liberties I 


INTRODUCTION. 


II 


frequently took with him, on account ol'his 
brutal behaviour.) I expostulated with 
the cruel wretch on the inhumanity of the 
action he was about ; telling him, ifhe had 
resolved the poor man should perish, it 
would have been better to have suffered 
him to do so when he was at the last ex- 
tremity, than to expose him afresh, by this 
means, to a death as certain, in a more lin- 
gering and miserable way. But the sav- 
age being resolved, and nothing moved by 
what I said, I paid him part of the passage 
down, and agreed to pay the rest at oui 
arrival in England. 

Tl)us having reprieved the poor man, the 
next thing was to enter upon my new em- 
ploy of amanuensis : and having a long 
space of time before us, we allotted two 
hours every morning for the purpose of 
writing down his life from his own mouth ; 
and frequently, when wind and weather kept 
us below, we spent some time of an after- 
noon in the same exercise, till we had quite 
•ompleted it. But then there were some 
ti ings in it so undescribable by words, 
that if I had not had some knowledge in 
drawing, our history had been very incom- 
plete. Thus it must have been, especial- 
ly in the description of the Glumms and 
Gawreys therein mentioned. In order to 
gain (that so I might communicate) a cleai 
idea of these, I made several drawings of 




INTRODUCTION'. 


them from his discourses and accounts ; 
and, at length, after divers trials, I made 
such exact delineations, that he declared 
they could not have been more perfect re- 
semblances if I had drawn them from the 
life. Upon a survey, he confessed the 
very persons their.selves could not have 
been more exact. I also drew with my 
pencil the figure of an aeriel engagement, 
which having likewise had his approbation, 
I have given a draught of. 

Then, having finished the work to our 
mutual satisfaction, I locked it up, in order 
to peruse it at leisure, intending to have 
presented it to him at our arrival in Eng- 
land, to dispose of as he pleased, in such a 
way as might have conduced most to his 
profit ; for I resolved, notwithstanding our 
agreement, and the obligations he was un- 
der to me, that the whole of that should be 
his own. But he, having been in a declin- 
ing state some time before we reached 
diore, died the very night we landed ; and 
his funeral falling upon me, I thought I 
had the greatest right to the manuscript, 
which, however, I had no design to have 
parted with ; but showing it to some judi- 
cious friends,! have by them been prevail- 
ed with not to conceal from the world what 
may prove so very entertaining, and per- 
haps useful. 


THE 


LIFE AND ADVENTURES 

OF 

PETER WILKINS. 


CHAP. r. 

I was born at Penhale, in the county of 
Cornwall, on the twenty-first day of De- 
cember, 1685, about four months after my 
father, Peter Wilkins, who was a zealous 
protestant'of the church of England, had 
been executed by Jefferys, in Somersetshire 
for joining in the design of raising the Duke 
of Monmouth to the British throne. I w^as 
named, after my father and grandfather, 
Peter, and was my father’s only child by 
Alice his wife, the daughter of John Ca- 
pert, a clergyman in a neighbouring village. 
My grandfather was a shopkeeper at New- 
port, who by great frugality, and extraordin- 
ary application, had raised a fortune of 
about one hundred and sixty pounds a yeai 
in land, and a considerable sum of ready 
money, all which at his death devolved upon 
my father, as his only child ; who being no 


14 


ADVENTURES OF 


less parsimonious than my grandfather, and 
living upon his own estate, had much im- 
proved it in value before his marriage with 
my mother; but he coming to that unhappy 
end, my mother, after my birth, placed all 
her afiection upon me, (her only growing 
hope as she called me) and used every 
method, in my minority, of increasing the 
store for my benefit. 

In this manner she went on, till I grew 
too big, as I thought, for confinement at 
the apron string, being then about fourteen 
years of age; and having met with so moch 
indulgence from her, for that reason, found 
very little or no c(mtradiction from any 
body else; so I looked on myself as a 
person of some consequence, and began to 
take all opportunities of enjoying the com- 
pany of my neighbours, who hinted, fre- 
quently, that the restraint I was under was 
too great a curb upon an inclination like 
mine of seeing the world; but rny mother, 
still impatient of any little absence, by ex- 
cessive fondness, and encouraging every 
inclination I seemed to have, when she 
could be a partaker with me, kept me with- 
in bounds of restraint till I arrived at my 
sixteenth year. 

About this time I got acquainted with a 
country gentleman, of a small paternal es- 
tate, which had been never the better for 
being in his hands, and had some uneasy 


P£TER WILKINS. 


lb 

demands upon it. He soon grev/ very 
fond of me, hoping, as I had reason after- 
wards to believe, by an union with mr 
mother, to set himself free from his entan- 
glements. She was then about thirty-five 
years old, and still continued my father’s 
widow, out of particular regard to me, as I 
have all the reason in the world to believe. 
She was really a beautiful woman, and of a 
sanguine complexion, but had always carried 
herself with so much reserve, and given so 
little encouragement to any of the other sex, 
that she had passed her widowhood with ve- 
ry few solicitations to alter her way of life. 
This gentleman observing my mother’s con- 
duct, in order to ingratiate himself with 
her, had shown numberless instances of re- 
gard for me; and, as he told my mother, had 
observed many things in my discourse, ac- 
tions, and turn of mind, that presaged won- 
derful expectations from me, if my genius 
was but properly cultivated. 

This discourse, from a man of very good 
parts, and esteemed by every body an ac- 
complished gentleman, by degrees wrought 
upon my mother, and more and more in- 
flamed her with a desire of adding what 
lustre she could to my applauded abilities, 
and influenced her so far as to ask his ad- 
vice in what manner most properly to pro- 
ceed with me. My gentleman then had 


ADVENTL’'RES OF 


his desire, for he feared not the widow 
could he but properly dispose of her 
charge ; so having desired a little lime to 
consider of a matter of such importance, 
he soon after told her he thought the most 
useful method of establishing me, would be 
at an academy, kept by a very worthy and 
judicious gentleman, about thirty, or more, 
miles from us, in Somersetshire ; where, if 
I could but be admitted, the master taking 
in but a stated number of students at a time, 
he did not in the least doubt but I should 
fully answer the character he had given her 
of me, and outshine most of my contempo- 
raries. 

My mother, over anxious for my good, 
seeming to listen to this proposal, my friend 
(as I call him) proposed taking a journey 
himself to the academy, to see if any place 
was vacant for my reception, and learn the 
terms of my admission; and in three days, 
time returned with an engaging account of 
the place, the master, the regularity of the 
scholars, of an apartment secured for my 
reception, and, in short, whatever else 
might captivate my mother’s opinion in fa- 
vour of its scheme ; and, indeed, though 
he acted principally from another motive, 
as was plain afterwards, I cannot help 
thinking he believed it to be the best way 
of disposing of a lad sixteen years old, 
born to a pretty fortune, and who, at that 


PETER WILKINS. 


17 


age, could but just read a chapter in the 
Testament : for he had before beat my 
mother quite out of her inclination to a 
grammar-school in the neighborhood, from 
a contempt, he said, it would bring upon 
me from lads much my juniors in years, by 
being placed in the first rudiments of learn- 
ing with them. 

Well, the whole concern of my mother^s 
little family was now employed in fitting 
me out for my expedition ; and as my friend 
had been so instrumental in bringing it 
about, he never missed a day inquiring 
how preparations went on ; and during the 
process, by humouring me, ingratiated him- 
self more and more with my mother, but 
without seeming in the least to aim at it. 
In short the hour of my departure arrived; 
and, though I had never been master of 
above sixpence at one time, unless at a 
fair or so, for immediate spending, my mo- 
ther, thinking, to make my heart easy at our 
separation, ( which, had it appeared other- 
wise, would have broke her’s and spoiled 
all) gave me a double pistole in gold,and a 
little silver in my pocket to prevent my 
changing it. 

Thus I, (the coach waiting for us at the 
door) having been preached into a good 
liking of the scheme by my friend, who 
now insisted upon making one of our com- 
pany to introduce us, mounted the carriage 
2 


18 


ADVENTURES 0¥ 


with more alacrity than could be expected 
for one who had never before been beyond 
the smoke of his mother’s chimney ; but 
the thoughts I had conceived, from my 
friend’s discourse, of liberty in the academ- 
ic way, and the weight of so much money 
in my pocket, as I then:>imagined would 
scarce ever be exhausted, were prevailing 
cordials to keep my spirits on the wing. 
We lay at an inn that night, near the mas- 
ter’s house, and the next day I was initia- 
ted ; and, at parting with me, my friend 
presented me with a guinea. When 1 
found myself thus rich, I must say I heart- 
ily wished they were all fairly at home 
again, that 1 might have time to count my 
cash, and dispose of such part of it as I had 
already appropriated to several uses then 
in embryo. 

The next morning left me master of my 
wishes, for my mother came and took her 
last (though she little thought it) leave of 
me, and smothering me with her caresses 
and prayers for my well-doing, in the height 
of her ardour put into my hand another 
guinea, promising to see me again quickly ; 
and desiring me, in the mean time, to be 
a very good husband, and carefully use 
my store of money, she bid me farewell. 

I shall not trouble you with the reception 
I met from my master, or his scholars, or 


PETER WILKINS. 


19 


tell you how soon I made friends of all my 
companions, by some trifling largesses 
which my stock enabled me to bestow as 
occasion required ; but I must inform you, 
that, after sixteen years of idleness at home, 
I had but little heart to my nouns and pro- 
nouns, which nowbegan to be crarnmedupon 
me ; and being the eldest lad in the house, 
I sometimes regretted the loss of the time 
past, and at other times despaired of ever 
making a scholar at my years ; and was 
ashamed to stand like a great lubber, de- 
clining of hcec mulieVy a woman, whilst my 
school-fellows, and juniors by five years, 
were engaged in the stories of Ovid, or the 
songs of Horace. I own these thoughts 
almost overcame me, and threw me into a 
deep melancholy, of which I soon after, 
by letter, informed my mother ; who (by 
the advice, as I suppose, of my friend, by 
this time her suitor) sent me word to mind 
my studies, and I should want for nothing. 


ADVENTURES OF 


fO 


CHAPTER II. 


I REMAINED at this school a whole year, 
without once being permitted to visit my 
mother, a circumstance which caused me a 
great deal of uneasiness. At the end of the 
year being in want of money, I wrote to 
my mother for a remittance and received 
the following letter from my former friend. 

Son Peter, 

Your mother and I are much surprised 
you should write for money, having so amply 
provided for you ; but as it is not many 
months to Christmas,when possibly we may 
send for you home, you must make yourself 
easy till then, as a school-boy, with all ne- 
cessaries found him cannot have much oc- 
casion for money. 

Your loving father y ‘‘J. G.” 

Imagine, if it is possible, my consterna- 
tion at the receipt of this letter. I began 
to think I should be tricked out of what my 
father and grandfather had, with so much 
pains and industry, for many years been 
heaping up for me, and had a thousand 
thoughts all together jostling out each oth- 
er, so could resolvo on nothing. 


PETtR WILKINS. 


21 


However I was obliged to submit; I was 
not sent for home at Christmas, nor for two 
years more ; when having gained the con- 
fidence of my preceptor, he advised me to 
write a very obliging letter to rny new fa- 
ther, with niy humble request, that he 
would please to order me home the next 
recess of our learning. I did so, under my 
master’s dictation; and not long after re- 
ceived an answer to the following effect: — 

‘Son Peter, 

‘Your mother has been dead a good 
while; and as to your request, it will be 
only expensive, and of little use; for a per- 
son who must live by his studies cannot ap- 
ply to them too closely.’ 

On showing this letter to my kind pre- 
ceptor, he advised me to go home and offer- 
ed to accompany me. We accordingly 
went, and learnt from my father-in-law that 
rny father, just before entering into the fatal 
rebellion by which he lost his life, had made 
a deed conveying to my mother her whole 
estate, real and personal without any con- 
ditions, and that she had given the whole 
to my father-in-law by her will. I was thus 
cut off completely from my lawful patrimo- 
ny. My father-in-law kindly offered to pay 
my board one year longer at school and 
said that 1 must then shift for myself 


$2 


ADVENTURES OF 


CHAPTER III. 


I RETURNED to school With Diy proceptor; 
but could not content my self with my studies 
as before. On the contrary, I was contin- 
ually resolving plans for my future main- 
tenance and conduct in life. At last I re- 
solved to go to sea, and setting off secretly 
one night, I pursued the road to Bristol. 
After travelling two days I arrived at that 
place about four o’clock in the afternoon . 
Having refreshed myself, I went the same 
evening to the Kay, to inquire what ships 
were in the river, whither bound, and when 
they would depart. My business was with 
the sailors, of whom there were at that time 
great numbers there; but I could meet with 
no employ, though I gave out I would glad- 
ly enter myself before the mast: after I had 
done the best I could, but without success, 
I returned to the little house I had dined at 
and went to bed very pensive. I did not 
forget my prayers ; but I could by no means 
be roused to such devotion as I sometimes 
had enjoyed. Next day I walked again to 
the Kay, asking all I met, who looked like 
seafaring men, for employment ; but could 
hear of none, there being many waiting for 
births ; and I feared my appearance (which 


PETER WILKINS. 


23 


was not so mean as most of that sort of 
gentry is) would prove no small disappoint- 
ment to my preferment that way. At last, 
being out of heart with my frequent repulses, 
I went to a landing place just by, and as I 
asked some sailors, who were putting two 
gentlemen on shore, if they wanted a hand 
on board their ship, one of the gentlemen, 
whom I afterwards found to be the master 
of a vessel bound to the coast of Africa, 
turned back and looked earnestly on me. 
Young man, says he, do you want employ- 
ment on board? I immediaiely made him 
a bow, and answered. Yes, Sir. Said he, 
There is no talking in this weather, (for it 
then blew almost a storm) but step into that 
tavern, pointing to the place, and I wdll be 
with you presently. — 1 went thither, and 
not long after came my future master. He 
asked mo many questions, but the first was, 
whether I had been at sea, I told him 
no ; but I did not doubt soon to learn the 
duty of a sailor. He then looked on my 
hand, and shaking his head, told me it 
would not do, for I had too soft a hand. I 
told him I was determined for the sea, and 
that my hand and heart should go together; 
and I hoped that my hand would soon har- 
den, though not my heart. He then told 
me it was a pity to take such a pretty young 
fellow before the mast; but if 1 understood 
accounts tolerably, and could write a good 


524 


ADVENTURES OF 


hand he would make me his steward, and 
make it worth my while. I answered in 
the affirmative, joyfully accepting his offer; 
but on his asking me where my chest was, 
(For, says he, if the wind had not been 
so strong against me, I had fallen down the 
river this morning,) I looked very blank, 
and plainly told him I had no other stores 
than I carried on my back. The captain 
smiled. Says he. Young man, I see you 
are a novice; why, the meanest sailor in 
my ship has a chest, at least, and perhaps 
something in it : come, says he my lad, I 
like your looks; be diligent, and honest I 
will let you have a little money to set you 
out, and deduct it in your pay. He was 
then pulling out his purse, when I begged 
him, as he seemed to show me so great a 
kindness, that he would order somebody 
to buy what necessaries he knew I should 
want for me, or I should be under as great a 
difficulty to know what to get, and where to 
buy them, as I should have been at for want 
of them. He commended my prudence, 
and said he would buy them, and send them 
on board himself; so bid me trouble myself 
no more about them, but go to the ship, in 
the return of his boat, and stay there till he 
came; giving me a ticket to the boat’s crew 
to take me in. When I came to the shore 
the boat was gone off, and at a good distance ; 


PETER WILKINS. 


■^25 


but 1 hailed them, and showing my ticket, 
they put back, and took me safe to the ship ; 
heartily glad that I was entered upon my 
new service. 


26 


ADVENTURES OP 


CHAPTER IV. 


Being once on board, and in pay, I 
thought I was a man for myself, and set 
about considering how to behave ; and no- 
body knowing, as yet, upon what footing 1 
came on board, they took me for a passen- 
ger, as my dress did not at all bespeak me 
a sailor ; so every one, as I sauntered about, 
had something to say to me. By and by 
comes a pert young fellow up ; Sir, says he, 
your servant ; what, I see our captain has 
picked up a passenger at last. — Passenger? 
says I ; you are pleased to be merry, sir, I 
am no passenger. — Why, pray, says he, 
what may you be then ?^ — Sir, says I, the 
captain’s steward. — You impertinent puppy 
says he, what an answer you give me ; you 
the captain’s steward ! No, sir, that place, 
I can assure you is in better hands ! and 
away he turned. — I knew not what to 
think of it, but was terribly afraid I should 
draw myself into a scrape. By and by, 
others asked me, some one thing, some 
another, and I was very cautious what an- 
swers I made them, for fear of offence ; till 
a gravish sailor came and sat down by 
me ; and after talking of the weather, and 
other indifferent matters, Pray, says I, sir, 


PETER WILKINS. 


27 


who is that gentleman that was so affronted 
at me soon after I came on board ? — Oh, 
says he, a proud insignificant fellow, the 
captain’s steward ; but don’t mind him, 
says he, he uses the captain himself as bad ; 
they have had high words just before the 
captain went on shore ; and had he used 
me as he did him, I should have made no 
ceremony of tipping him overboard ; a ras- 
cal. Says I, you surprise me ; for the cr.j)- 
fain sent me on board to be his steward, 
and agreed with me about it this afternoon. 
— Hush, says he, I see how it will go ; the 
captain, if that’s the case, will discharge 
him when he comes on board ; and indeed, 
I believe he would not have kept him so 
long, but we have waited for a wind, and he 
could not provide for himself. — The cap- 
tain came on board at night ; and the first 
thing he did was to demand the keys of 
Mr. Steward, which he gave to me, and 
ordered him on shore. 

The next morning the captain went on 
shore himself; but the wind chopping round 
and standing fair about noon, he returned 
then with my chest, and before night we 
were got into sailing order, and before the 
wind, with a brisk gale. What happened 
the first fourteen days of our passage I 
know not, having been all that time so sick 
and weak, I could scarcely keep life and 
soul together ; but after grew better and 


28 


ADVENTL'HES OF 


better. We prosecuted our voyage, touch- 
ing, for about a week, at the Madeiras in 
our way. The captain grew very fond of 
'me, and never put me to hard duty, and I 
passed my time, under his favor, very 
pleasantly. One evening, being within 
sixty leagues of the Cape of Palmes, calm 
weather, but the little wind we had against 
us, one of our men spied a sail, and gave 
the captain notice of it. He, not suspect- 
ing danger, minded it little ; and we made 
what way the wind would permit : but 
night coming on, and the calm continuing, 
about peep of day we perceived we were 
infallably fallen in with a French privateer; 
who, hoisting French colours, called out to 
us to strike. Our captain had scarce time 
to consider what to do, they w'cre so near 
us; but as he had tv/enty-two men on board, 
and eight guns he could bring to, he called 
all hands upon deck, and telling them the 
consequence of a surrender, asked them if 
they would stand by him. One and all 
swore they would fight the ship to the bot- 
tom, rather than fall into the privateer’s 
hands. The captain immediately gave the 
word for a clear deck, prepared his fire- 
arms, and begged them to be active, and 
obey orders ; and perceiving the privateer 
out numbered our hands by abundance, he 
commanded all the small arms to be brought 
on deck loaded, and to run out as many of 


PETER WILKINS. 


29 


the ship’s guns as she could bring to on one 
side; and to charge them all with small 
shot, then stand to till he gave directions. 
— The privateer being a light ship, and a 
small breeze arising, run up close to us; 
first firing one gun, then another, still call- 
ing out to us to strike; but we neither re- 
turned fire nor answer, till he came almost 
within pistol-shot of us, and seeing us a 
small vessel, thought to board us directly ; 
but then our captain ordered a broadside, 
and immediately all hands to come on deck; 
himself standing there at the time of our 
first fire with his fusee in his hand, and 
near him I stood with another. We killed 
eight men and wounded several others. The 
])rivateer then fired a broadside through and 
through us. By this time our hands were 
all on deck, and the privateer pushing, in 
hopes to grapple and board us, we gave 
them a volley from thence, that did good 
execution; and then all hands to the ship’s 
guns again, except four who were left along 
with me to charge the small arms. It is 
incredible how soon they had fixed the 
great guns, and were on deck again. This 
last fire, being with ball raked the privateer 
miserably. Then we fired the small arms, 
and away to the ship’s guns. Thus vve did 
three times successively without the loss of 
a man, and I believe if we could have held 
it once more, and no assistance had come 


30 


ADVENTURES OP 


to the privateer, she had sheered quite off; 
but our captain spying a sail at some dis- 
tance behind the privateer, who lay to wind- 
ward of us, and seeing by his glass it was a 
Frenchman, was almost dismayed; the 
same sight put courage into our enemies, 
uho thereupon redoubled the attack, and 
the first volley of their small arms shot our 
captain in the breast, upon which he 
dropped dead without stirring. I need not 
say that sight shocked me exceedingly.. 
Indeed it disconcerted the whole actioir, 
and though our mate, a man of good courage 
and experience, did all that a brave man 
could do to animate the men, they apparent- 
ly drooped, and the loss of the ship became 
inevitable; so we struck, and the French- 
man boarded us. 

During the latter part of the engagement, 
we had two men killed, and five wounded, 
who died afterwards of their wounds. We 
who were alive were all ordered on board 
the Frenchman ; who, after rifling us, 
chained us two and two, and turned us into 
the hold. Our vessel was then ransacked; 
and the other privateer who had suffered 
much the day before in an engagement 
with an English twenty-gun ship of war,, 
coming up, the prize was sent by her into 
port where she herself w’as to refit. In 
this condition did I, and fourteen of our 
crew, lie for six weeks ; till the fetters on 


PETER WILKIN'S. 


31 


O'lir legs had almost eaten to the bone and 
the stench of the place had well nigh suf- 
focated us. 

The Glorieux (for that was the name of 
the privateer who took us) saw notliing 
farther in five weeks worth her notice, which 
very much discouraged the men; and, con- 
sulting together, it was agreed to cruize 
more northward, between Sierra Leon and 
Cape de Verde; but about noon, next day, 
they spied a sail, coming west -north-west, 
with a fresh gale. The captain thereupon 
ordered all to be ready, and lie by for her 
But, though she discerned us, she kept her 
way, bearing only more southward; when 
the wind shifting to north east, she ran for 
it, full before the wind, and we after her 
with all the sail we could crowd; and 
though she was a very good sailer, we 
gained upon her, being laden, and before 
night come pretty well up with her; but, 
being a large ship, and the evening hazy, 
we did not choose to engage her till morn- 
ing. The next morning we found she vv^as 
slunk away; but we fetched her up, and 
hoisting French colours, fired a shot which 
she not answering, our captain run along- 
side of her, and fired a broadside; then 
slackening upon her, a hard engagement 
ensued; the shot thumping so against our 
ship, that we prisoners who had nothing to 
do in the action, expected death, one or 


32 


ADVENTURES OT 


other of us, every moment. The merchant- 
man was so heavy loaded, and drew so 
much water, that she was very unwieldly 
in action; so after a fight of two hours, 
when most of her rigging and masts were 
cut and wounded, she struck. Twelve men 
were sent on board her, and her captain 
and several officers were ordered on board 
us. 

There were thirty-eight persons in her, 
including passengers; all of whom, except 
five, and the like number which had been 
killed in the action, were sent chained into 
the hold with us, who had lain there almost 
six weeks. This prize put Monsieur into 
good heart and determined him to return 
Home with her. But in two days’ time, his 
eiew acquisition was found to have leaked 
so fast near the bottom, that before they 
were aware of it, the water was risen some 
teet. Several hands were employed to find 
out the leak; but all asserted it was too 
low to be come at: and as the pumps, with 
all the labour the prisoners who were the 
persons put to it, could use, would not re- 
duce it, but it still increased, they removed 
what goods they could into the privateer; 
and before they could unload it, the prize 
sunk. 

The next thing they consulted upon, was 
what to do with the prisoners, who by the 
loss of the prize were now grown too nu- 


PETER WILKINS. 


S3 


merous to be trusted in the privateer ; fear- 
ing, too, as they were now so far out at sea, 
))y the great addition of mouths, they might 
soon be brought to a short allowance; it was, 
on both accounts, resolved to give us the 
prize’s boat which they had saved, and 
turn us adrift to shift for ourselves. There 
were in all forty three of us; but the priva- 
teer having lost several of their own men in 
the two engagements, they looked us over, 
and picking out two-and-twenty of us, who 
were the most likely fellows for their pur- 
pose, the remaining one-and-twenty were 
committed to the boat, with about two days’ 
.provision and a small matter of ammunition; 
and turned out. 


34 


ADVENTURES OP 


CHAPTER V. 


After remaining at sea three days in 
this*'(iestitute condition, we were taken up 
by a Portuguese ship bound to St. Salvador, 
on the coast of Africa, and a few days after 
arrived safely in that port. 

Here being destitute of money , I engag- 
ed in an expedition into the interior and 
was made prisoner. I pass over my suf- 
ferings in captivity among the negroes, be- 
cause I would not detain you from the more 
interesting part of my adventures. Among 
my fellow prisoners was an African by the 
name of Glanlipze, a fellow of great cour- 
age and enterprize. I formed an acquain- 
tance with him and we concerted a plan 
for our escape, which was elTected princi- 
pally by his means. With him I wandered 
through the wilderness, passed the borders 
of several tribes hostile to his own, and at 
last arrived at his own habitation, where 
we found his wife and children, the former 
having proved faithful and constant to him 
during his absence for several years. 

I passed my time with Glanlipze and his 
wife, who both really loved me, with suffi- 
cient bodily quiet for about two years; my 
business was chietly, in company with my 


PETER WILKINS. 


35 


patron to cultivate a spot of ground where- 
in we had planted grain and necessaries 
for the family ; and once or twice a week 
we went a fishing, and sometimes hunted 
and shot venison. 'Fhese were our chief 
employments ; for as to excursions for 
slaves, which is a practice in many of those 
countries, and what the natives get money 
by since our own slavery, Glanlipze and 
I could not endure it. 

Though I was tolerable easy in my ex- 
ternal circumstances, yet my mind hanker- 
ing after England made my life still unhap- 
i)y, and that infelicity daily increased. I 
saw the less probability of attaining my 
desire. At length, hearing of some Euro- 
pean sailors, who were under confinement 
for contraband trade, at a Portuguese fort 
about two miles from Quamis, I resolved 
to go to see them; and, if any of them 
should be English, at least to inquire after 
my native country. I went and found two 
Dutchmen, who had been sailors in British 
p y several years, three Scotchmen, an 
Irijthman, and five Englishmen but all had 
been long in English merchants’ service. 
They were taken, as they told me, by a 
Portuguese vessel, together with their ship, 
as a Dutch prize, under pretence of contra- 
band trade. The captain was known to be 
a Dutchman,though he spoke good English, 
and was then in English pay, and his ves- 


•36 


adventures Of 


sel English ; therefore they would have it 
that he was a Dutch trader^ and so seized 
his ship in the harbour, with the prisoners 
in it. The captain, who was on shore with 
several of his men, was threatened to he 
laid in irons, if he was taken, which oblig- 
ed him and his men to abscond, and fly 
over land to an English factory, lor assis- 
tance to recover his ship and cargo, being 
afraid to appear and claim it, amongst so 
many enemies, without an additional force. 
They had been in confinement two months, 
and their ship confiscated and sold. In 
this miserable condition I left them, but re- 
turned once or twice a week, for a fortnight 
or three weeks, to visit them. These in- 
stances of regard, as they thought them, 
created some confidence in me, so that they 
conversed with me very freely. Amongst 
other discourse, they told me, one day, 
that one of their crew, who went with the 
captain, had been taken ill on the way, and, 
being unable to proceed, was returned ; 
but as lie talked good Portuguese,he\vas not 
.suspected to belong to them ; and tliat he 
had been to visit them, and would be there 
again that day. I had a mind to see him, 
so staid longer than I intended, and in 
about an hour^s time he came. After he 
was seated, he asked who I was, and (pri- 
vately) if I might be trusted. Being satis- 
fied i might, for that I was a Cornish man, 


i*EtER WlLKI^fS. 


37 


he be^an as fcHows, looking narfowly about 
to see he was not overheard : My ladsjsays 
he, be of good courage, I have hopes for 
yoii ; bo but men, and we shall see better 
days yel. I wondered to what this preface 
tended ; when he told us, that since his 
return from the captain, as he spoke good 
Portuguese, and had sailed on board Por- 
tuguese traders several years, he mixed 
among that people, and particularly among 
the crew of the Del Cruz, the ship which 
had taken them ; that that ship had partly 
unloaded, and was taking in other goods 
for a future voyage ; that he had informed 
himself of their strength, and that very 
seldom more than three men and two boys 
lay on board ; that he had hired himself to 
the captain, and was to go on board the 
very next day. Now, says he, my lads, 
if you can break prison any night after to- 
morrow, and come directly to the ship, 
(telling them how she lay, for says he, you 
cannot mistake, you will find two or three 
boats moored in the gut against the church) 
I will be ready to receive you, and we will 
get off with her, in lieu of our ship they 
have taken from us, for there is nothing 
ready to follow us. 

The prisoners listened to this discourse 
very attentively ; but scratched their heads 
fearing the difficulty of it, and severer usage 
if t! oy miscarried, and made several objec- 


S8 


adVentuhes op 


tions; but, at last, they all swore to attempt 
it the night but one following. Upon which 
the sailor went away, to prepare for their 
reception on board. Alter he was gone, I 
surveyed his scheme attentively in my own 
mind, and found it not so difficult as I first 
imagined, if the prisoners could but escape 
cleverly. So, before I went away, I told 
them I approved of their purpose; and as I 
wastheir countryman, I was resolved, with 
their leave, to risk my fortunes with them. 
At this they seemed much pleased, and all 
embraced me. We then fixed the perem- 
tory night, and I was to wait at the water- 
side, and get the boats in readiness. 

The prison they were in was a Portu- 
guese fort, which had been deserted ever 
since the building of much better on the 
other side of the river, a gun-shot lower. 
It was built with walls, too thick for naked 
men to storm ; the captives were securely 
locked up every night ; and two soldiers, 
or sentinels, kept watch in an outer-room, 
who were relieved from the main-guard in 
the body of the building. 

The expected night airrived ; and a little 
before midnight, as had been concerted, 
one of the prisoners cried out, he was so 
parched up, he was on fire, he was on 
fire ! The sentinels were both asleep ; but 
the first that waked, called at the door, to 
know what was the matter. 


PETER WILKINS. 


59 


The prisoners still crying out, I am on 
lire ! the rest begged the sentinel to bring 
a bowl of water for him, for they knew not 
what ailed him. 

The good-natured fellow, without waking 
his companion, brought the water, and, 
having a lamp in the guard room, opened 
the door ; when the prisoners seizing his 
arms and commanded him to silence,bound 
his hands behind him, and his feet together, 
then serving the other in the same manner, 
who was now just awake, and taking from 
them their swords and muskets, they made 
the best of their w^ay over the fort-wall ; 
which being built with buttresses on the 
inside, was easily surmounted. Being got 
out, they were not long in finding me, who 
had before this time made the boats ready, 
and was impatiently waiting for them ; so 
in we all got and made good speed to the 
ship, where we were welcomed by our 
companion, ready to receive us. 

Under the pretence of being a new-en- 
tered sailor, he had carried some Madeira 
wine on board, and treated the men and 
boys so freely that he had thrown them into 
a dead sleep; w'hich was a wise precaution. 
There being now therefore no fear of dis- 
turbance or interruption, we drew up the 
two boats, and set all hands to work to put 
the ship under way ; and plied it so close- 


40 


ADVENTUr.ES OF 


ly the wind tavouring us^ that by eleven 
o’clock the next morning v* e were out of’ 
sight of land ; but we set the men and boys 
adrift in one of the boats, nigh the mouth 
of the river. 

The first thing we did after we h.ad made 
a long run from shore was to consult what 
eourse to steer. Now, as there v/as a val- 
uable loading on board, of goods from Por- 
tugal, and others taken in since, some gave 
their opinion for sailing directly for India, 
selling the ship and cargo there, and re- 
turning by some English vessel : but that 
was rejected ; for we did not doubt but no- 
tice would be given of ourescape along the 
coast, and if we should fall into the Portu- 
guese’s hands we could expect no mercy ; 
l)esides we had not people sufficient for 
such an enterprize. Others, again, were 
for sailing the directcst course for England ; 
but I told them, as our opinions were dif- 
ferent, and no time was to be lost, my ad- 
vice was to stretch southward, till we might 
he quite out of fear of pursuit, and then, 
whatever course we took, by keeping clear 
of all coasts, wx might hope to come safe offi 

My proposal seemed to please the whole 
crew; so crowding all the sail we could, 
we pushed southward very briskly before 
the wind for several days. We now went 
upon oxamining our stores and found we 


PETER WILKINS. 


41 


had flour enough, plenty of fish, and salt 
provisions, but were scant of water and 
wood ; of the first whereof there was not 
half a ton, and but very little of the latter. 
This made us very uneasy; and being none 
of us expert in navigation, farther than the 
common working of the ship, and having no 
chart on board that might direct us to the 
nearest land, we were almost at our wits 
end, and came to a short allowance of 
liquor. That we must get water if we 
could, was indisputable; but where to do 
it puzzled us, as we had determined not 
to get in with the African shore, on any 
account whatever. 

In this perplexity,and under the guidance 
of different opinions, (for we were all cap- 
tains now) we sometimes steered eastward, 
and sometimes westward, for about nine 
days; when we espied a little bluish cloud- 
like appearance to the south-west; this con- 
tinuing, we hoped it might be land, and 
therefore made to it. Upon our nearer ap- 
proach, we found it to be, as we judged, an 
island; but not knowing its name, or 
whether it was inhabited, we coasted round 
it two days to satisfy ourselves as to this 
last particular. Seeing no living creature 
on it during that time, and the shore being 
very broken, we came to an anchor about 
^wo miles from it, and sent ten of our crew 
in our best boat, with some casks to get 


4<2 


ADVENTURES OP 


water and cut wood. The boat returned 
at night with six men, and the casks filled, 
having left four behind, to go on with the 
cutting of wood against next day. Accord- 
ingly next morning, the boat went off again 
and made two turns with water and wood 
ere night, which was repeated for two or 
three days after. On the sixth she went 
off for wood only, leaving none but me and 
one John Adams on board. 

Ihe boat had scarce reached the island 
this last turn, before the day overcast, and 
there arose such a storm of wind, thunder, 
lightning, and hail, as I had never before 
seen. At last our cable broke close to the 
anchor, and away we went with the wind, 
full southward by west; and not having 
strength to keep the ship upon a side wind, 
we were forced to set her head right before 
it, and let her drive. Our hope was, every 
hour, the storm would abate; but it con- 
tinued with equal violence for many days; 
during all which time, neither Adams nor 
I had any rest, for one. or other of us was 
forced, and sometimes both, to keep her 
right before the wind, or she would certain- 
ly have overset. When the storm abated, 
as it did by degrees, neither Adams nor I 
could tell where we were, or in what part 
of the world. 

I was sorry I had no better a sailor with, 
me, for neither Adams nor myself had ever 


PETER WILKINS. 


43 

made more than one voyage till now, so 
that we were both unacquainted with the 
latitude and scarce knew the use of the 
compass to any purpose; and, being out of 
all hope of ever reaching the island to our 
companions, we neither knew which way to 
steer, nor what to do: and, indeed, had we 
known where we were, we two only could 
not have been able to navigate the ship to 
any part we desired, or ever to get to the 
island, unless such a wind as we had be- 
fore would of itself have driven us thither. 

Whilst we were considering, day after 
day, what to do, though the sea w^as now 
very cairn and smooth, the ship seemed to 
sail at as great a rate as before, which we 
attributed to the velocity she had acquired 
by the storm, or to currents that had set 
that way by the violence of the winds. 
Contenting ourselves with this, w'e expect- 
ed all soon to be right again, and as we 
had no prospect of ever seeing our com- 
panions, we kept the best look out we could, 
to see for any vessel coming that course, 
which might take us in; and resolved to 
rest all our hopes upon that. 

When we sailed a good while after 
this manner, w’e knew not whither, Adams 
called out, I see land! My heart leapt 
within me for joy; and we hoped, the cur- 
rent that seemed to carry us so fast, set in 
for some islands or rivers that lay before us 


44 


ADVENTURES OF 


But still we were exceedingly puz2led Rt 
the ship’s making such way; and the nearer 
we approached the land, which was now 
very visible, the more speed the ship made, 
though there was no wind stirring. We 
had just time to think on this unexpected 
phenomenon, when we found that what we 
had taken for land was a rock of an extra- 
ordinary height, to which, as we advanced 
nearer, the ship increased its motion; and 
all our strength could not make her answer 
her rudder any other way. This put us 
under the apprehension of being dashed 
to pieces immediately ; and, in less than 
half an hour, I verily thought my fears had 
not been groundless. Poor Adams told rne 
he would try when the ship struck, if he 
could leap upon the rock, and ran to tlie 
head for that purpose; but I was so fearful 
of seeing my danger, that I ran under hatch- 
es, resolved to sink in the ship. We had no 
sooner parted but I felt so violent a shock, 
that I verily thought the ship had brought 
down the whole rock upon her, and been 
thereby dashed to pieces; so that I never 
more expected to see the light. 

I lay under this terror for at least half an 
hour, waiting the ship’s either filling with 
water, or bulging every moment. But find- 
ing neither motion in her, nor any water 
rise, nor the least noise whatsoever, I ven- 
tured, with an aching heart, from my re- 


PETER WILKINS. 


45 


treat, and stole up the hatch way, as if an 
enemy had been on deck, peeping first one 
way, then another. Here nothing present- 
ed but confusion ; the rock hung over the 
hatch-way, at about twenty feet above my 
head, our foremast lay by the board, the 
mainmast yard-arm was down, and great 
part of the mainmast snapped off with it, 
and almost every thing upon deck was dis- 
placed. This sight shocked me extremely ; 
and calling for Adams, in whom I hoped 
to find some comfort, I was too soon con- 
vinced I had lost him. 


46 


ADVENTURES OF 


CHAPTER VI. 


After I had stood awhile in the utmost 
contusion of thought, and niy spirits began 
to be a little composed, I was resolved to 
see what damage the hull of the ship had 
received. Accordingly I looked narrowly, 
but could find none, only she was immove- 
ably fixed in a cleft of the rock, like a large 
arch-way, and there stuck so fast, that, 
though upon fathoming, I could find no 
bottom, she never moved in the least by 
the working of the water. 

I now began to look upon Adams as a 
happy man, being delivered by an immedi- 
ate death from such an inextricable scene 
of distress, and wished myself with him a 
thousand times. I had a great mind to 
have followed him into the other world; yet 
I know not how it is, there is something so 
abhorrent to human nature in self-murder, 
be one’s condition what it will, that I w as 
soon determined on the contrary side. Now 
again I perceived that the Almighty had 
given me a large field to expatiate in upon 
the trial of his creatures, by bringing them 
into imminent dangers, ready to overwhelm 
them, and at the same time, as it w'ere, 
hanging cut the flag of truce and mercy to 


PETER WILKINS. 


47 


them. These thoughts brought me to my 
knees and I poured out my soul to God in 
a strain of humiliating resignation to his 
will, and earnest petitions for deliverance 
or support in this distress. Having finished 
I found myself in a more composed frame. 
I walked my ship, of which I was now both 
master and owner, and employed myself in 
searching how it was fastened to the rock, 
and where it rested ; but all to no purpose 
as to that particular. I then struck a 
light, and went into the hold, to see what 
I could find useful, for we had never search- 
ed the ship since we took her. 

In the hold I found abundance of long 
iron bars which I suppose were brought out 
to be trafficked with the blacks. I observed 
they lay all with one end close to the head 
of the ship, which I presumed was occa- 
sioned by the violent shock they received, 
when she struck against the rock ; but see- 
ing one short bar lying out beyond the rest, 
though touching at the end one of the long 
bars, I thought to take it up, and lay it on 
the heap with the others : but the moment 
I had raised the end next the other bars, 
it flew out of my hand with such violence, 
against the head of the ship, and with such 
a noise, as greatly surprised me and put mo 
in fear it had broke through the plank. 

I just stayed to see no harm was done 


48 


ADVENTURES OP 


and ran upon deck, with my hair stiff on 
my head ; nor could I conceive less than 
that some subtle spirit had done this prank 
merely to terrify me. 

It ran in my pate several days, and I 
durst upon no account have gone into the 
hold again, though my whole support had 
lain there ; nay, it even spoiled my rest, 
for fear something tragical should befal me, 
of which this amazing incident was an 
omen. 

About a week after, as I was shifting 
myself, (for I had not taken my clothes off 
since I came there) and putting on a new 
pair of shoes which I found on board, my 
own being very bad, taking out my iron 
buckles, I laid one of them upon a broken 
piece of the mast that I sat upon; when, to 
my astonishment, it was no sooner out of 
rny hand but up it flew to the rock, and 
stuck there. I could not tell what to make 
of it ; but was sorry the devil had got above 
deck. I then held several other things, 
©ne after another, in my hand, and laid 
them down where I laid the buckle, but 
nothing stirred, till I took out the fellow of 
that from the shoes ; when, letting it go, 
away it jumped also to the rock. 

I mused on these phenomena for some 
time, and could not forbear calling upon 
God to protect me from the devil ; who 
must, as I imagined, have a hand in sucti 


J'ETER WILKINS. 


49 


ynacountable things as they then seemed 
to me. But at length reason got the belter 
of these foolish apprehensions, and I began 
to think there might be some natural cause 
of them, and next to be very desirous of 
finding it out. In order to this, I set about 
making experiments, to try what would run 
to the rock, and what would not. I went 
into the captain’s cabin, and opening a cup- 
board, of wliich the key was in the door, 
I took out a pipe, a bottle, a pocket-book, a 
silver spoon, a teacup. Sec. and laid them 
sRiccessively near the rock; when none of 
them answered : but the key which I had 
brought out of the cupboard on my finger, 
dropping off while I was thus employed, 
no sooner it was disengaged, but away it 
went to it. After that I tried several other 
pieces of iron-ware, with the like success. 
Upon this, and the needle of my compass 
standing stiff to the rock, I concluded that 
this same rock contained a great quantity 
of load-stone, or was itself one vast magnet, 
and that our lading of iron was the cause of 
the ship’s violent course thereto, which I 
mentioned before. 

This quite satisfied me, as to my notion 
of spirits, and gave me a more undisturbed 
night’s rest than I had had before; so that 
now, having nothing to affright me, I pas- 
sed the time tolerable well in my solitude, 
»s it grew by degrees familiar to me. 


50 


ADVENTURES OF 


CHAPTER VII. 


I WANTED to see the other side of the 
rock, and nt last resolved to try if I could 
not coast it quite round; for as I reasoned 
with myself, I might possibly find some 
landing places, and perhaps a convenient 
habitation on shore. But as I was very 
uncertain what time that might take up, I 
determined on having provisions, instru- 
ments of divers kinds, and necessary uten- 
sils in plenty, to guard against accidents as 
well as I could. I therefore took another 
sea chest out of the hold of the ship, and 
letting it into my boat, replenished it with a 
stock of wine, brandy, oil, bread, and the 
like, sufficient for a considerable voyage, 
I also filled a large cask with water, and 
took a good quantity of salt to cure what fish 
I should take by the wav. I carried two 
guns, two brace of pistols, and other arms, 
with ammunition proportionable ; also an axe 
or two, a saw to cut wood if I should see 
any, and a few other tools, which might be 
highly serviceable if I could land. To all 
these I added an old sail, to make a cover- 
ing for my goods and artilleiry against the 
weather. Thus furnished and equipped, 
secured my hatches on board, and every 


PETER WILKINS. 


51 


thing that might spoil by wet, I set out, with 
God’s speed, on my expedition, committing 
myself once more to Providence and the 
main ocean, and proceeding the same way 
I went the first time, 

I did not sail extraordinary fast, bu*i fre- 
quently fished in proper places, and caught 
a great deal, salting and drying the best of 
what I took. For three weeks’ time and 
more, I saw no entrance into the island, as 
I call it, nor any thing but the same un- 
scalable rock. This uniform prospect 
gave me so little hopes of landing, that 1 
was almost of a mind to have returned 
again. But, on mature deliberation, resolv- 
ing to go forward a day or two more, I had 
not proceeded twenty-four hours, when, just 
as it was becoming dark, I heard a great 
noise as of a fall of water, whereupon 1 pro- 
j)osed to lie by and wait for day, to see 
what it was ; but the stream insensibly 
drawing me on, I soon found myself in an 
eddy : and the boat drawing forward, be- 
yond all my power to resist it, I was quickly 
sucked under a low arch, where, if I had 
not fallen flat in my boat, having barely 
light enough to see my danger, I had un- 
doubtedly been crushed to pieces, or driven 
overboard. I could perceive the boat to 
fall with incredible violence, as I thought, 
down a precipice, and suddenly whirled 
round and round with me, the vmter roaring 


52 


ADVENTURES OP 


on all sides, and dashing against the rock 
with a most amazing noise. 

I expected every moment my poor little 
vessel u ould be staved against the rock, and 
1 overwhelmed with the waters; and for that 
reason never once attempted to rise up, or 
b»ok upon my peril, till after the commo-^ 
"ion had in son’.e measure ceased. At 
length, finding tlie perturbation of the wa- 
ter abate, and as if by degrees I came into 
a stnoolher stream, I took courage just to lill 
up my affrighted head ; but guess, if you 
can, the horror which seized me, on finding 
myself in the blackest of darkness, unable 
to perceive the smallest glimmer of light. 

Ilowever, us niy boat seemed to glide 
easily, I roused myself, and struck alight; 
but if I had my terrors before, what must 
I have now ! I was (luite stupified at the 
tremendous view of an immense arch over 
my head, to which 1 could see no bounds; 
the stream itself, as I judged, was about 
thirty yards broad, but in some places wid- 
er, in some narrower. It was well for me 
1 happened to have a tinder-box, or, though 
I had escaped hitherto, I must have at last 
perished ; for in the narrower parts of the 
stream, where it ran swiftest, there were 
frequently such crags stood out from the 
’:ock, by reason of the turnings and wind- 
tigs, and such sets of the current against 
ibora, as, could I not have seen to manage 


PETER WILKINS. 


53 


iny boat, which I took great care to keep 
in the middle of the stream, must have 
thrown me on them, to n»y inevitable des- 
truction. 

Happy it was for me, also, I was so well 
victualled, and that I had taken with me 
two bottles of oil, (as I supposed, for I did 
not imagine Iliad any more,) or I had cer- 
tainly been lost, not only through hunger, 
for I was, to my guess, five weeks in the 
vault or cavern, but for want of light,which 
the oil furnished, and without which all 
other conveniences could have been of no 
avail to me. 1 was forced to keep my lamp 
always burning ; so, not knowing how long 
my residence was to be in that place, or 
when I should get njy discharge from it,- 
if ever, I was obliged to husband my oil 
\vith the utmost frugality ; and notwith- 
standing all my caution, it grew low, and 
was just spent, in little above half the time 
I stayed there. 

I had now cut a piece of my shirt, for a 
wick to my last drop of oil, which I twisted 
and lighted. I burnt the oil in my brass 
tobacco-box, which I had fitted pretty well 
to answer the purpose. Sitting down, I 
had many black thoughts of what must fol- 
low the loss of my light, which I consider- 
ed as near expiring, and that I feared, for- 


52 


ADVENTURES OF, 


on all sides, and dashing against the rock 
with a most amazing noise. 

I expected every moment my poor little 
vessel would be staved against the rock, and 
1 overwhelmed with the waters; and for that 
reaison never once attempted to rise up, or 
b)ok upon niy peril, till after the common 
tion had in some measure ceased. At 
length, finding the perturbation of the wa- 
ter abate, and as if by degrees I came into 
a smoother stream, I took courage just to lill 
up my affrighted head ; but guess, if you 
can, the horror which seized me, on finding 
myself in the blackest of darkness, unable 
to perceive the smallest glimmer of light. 

Ilowever, us my boat seemed to glide 
easily, I roused myself, and struck alight; 
but if I had my terrors before, what must 
1 liave now ! 1 was ([uite stupified at the 

tremendous view of an immense arch over 
my head, to which 1 could see no bounds; 
the stream itself, as I judged, was about 
thirty yards broad, but in some places wid- 
er, in some rrarrower. It was well for me 
I happened to have a tinder-box, or, though 
I had escaped hitherto, I must have at last 
perished ; for in the narrower parts of the 
stream, where it ran swiftest, there were 
frequently such crags stood out from the 
’^ock, by reason of the turnings and wind- 
itrgs, and such sets of the current against 
ihera, as, could I not have seen to manage 


PETER WILKINS. 5S 

my boat, which I took great care to keep 
in the middle of the stream, must have 
thrown me on them, to my inevitable des- 
truction. 

Happy it was for me, also, I was so well 
victualled, and that I had taken with me 
two bottles of oil, (as I supposed, for I did 
not imagine Iliad any more,) or I had cer- 
tainly been lost, not only through hunger, 
for I was, to my guess, five weeks in the 
vault or cavern, but for want of light,which 
the oil furnished, and without which all 
other conveniences could have been of no 
avail to me. 1 was forced" to keep my lamp 
always burning ; so, not knowing how long 
my residence was to be in that place, or 
when I should get my discharge from it, 
if ever, I was obliged to husband my oil 
with the utmost fVugality ; and notwith- 
standing all my caution, it grew low, and 
was just spent, in little above half the time 
I stayed there. 

I had now cut a piece of my shirt, for a 
wick to my last drop of oil, which I twisted 
and lighted. I burnt the oil in my brass 
tobacco-box, which I had fitted pretty well 
to answer the purpose. Sitting down, I 
had many black thoughts of what must fol- 
low tlie loss of my light, which I consider- 
ed as near expiring, and that I feared, for- 


54 


ADVENTURES OF 


ever. I am here, thought I, like a poor 
condemned criminal, who knows his execu- 
tion is fixed for such a day, nay, such an 
hour, and dies over and over in imagination, 
and by the torture of his mind, till that 
hour comes ; that hour, which he so much 
dreads ! and yet that very hour which re- 
leases him from all farther dread ! Thus 
do I — my last wick is kindled — my last drop 
of fuel is consuming ! — and I am every mo- 
ment apprehending the shocks of the rock, 
the suffocation of the water ; and, in short, 
thinking over my dying thoughts, till the 
snuff of my lamp throws up its last curling, 
expiring flame, and then my quietus vvill be 
presently signed, and I released from my 
tormenting anxiety ! Happy minute ! come, 
then ; I only wait for thee ! 

My spirits grew so low and feeble upon 
this, thatl had recourse to my brandy bot- 
tle to raise them ; but, as I was just going 
to take a sip, I reHected that would only 
increase thirst, and therefore, it were bet- 
ter to take a little of my white Maderia; 
so, putting my dram-bottle again into the 
chest, I held up cue of Madeira, as I fan- 
cied, to my lamp, and seeing it was while, 
(for I had red too,)I clapped it eagerly to 
my mouth, when the first gulp gave me a 
greater refreshment, and more cheered 
my heart, than all the other liquors I had 
put together could have done j insomuch, 


PETER WILKINS. 


55 


as I had almost leaped over the boat’s side 
for joy. It is oil ! cried I, aloud, it is oil ! 

I set it down carefully, with inexpressible 
pleasure ; and examining the rest of the 
bottles I had taken for white inadeira, I 
. found two more of these to be filled with 
oil. Now says I, here is the counterpart 
of my condemned prisoner ! For let but a 
pardon come, though at the gallows, hov/ 
soon does he forget he has been an unhap- 
py villain ! And I, too, have scarce a no- 
tion now, how a man, in my case could 
feel such sorrow as I have fbr want of a 
little oil. 

After my first transport, I found myself 
grow serious, reflecting upon the vigilance 
of Providence over us poor creatures, and 
the various instances wherein it interposes 
to save or relieve us, in cases of the deep- 
est distress, where our own foresight, wis- 
dom, and power, have utterly failed, and 
when, looking all around, we could discov- 
er no means of deliverance. And I saw a 
train of circumstances leading to the inci- 
dent I have just mentioned, which obliged 
me to acknowledge the superintendance of 
Heaven over even my affairs ; and as the 
goodness of God had cared for me thus 
far, and manifested itself to me now, in 
rescuing me, as it were, from being swal- 
lowed up in darkness, I had ground to hope 
he intended a complete deliverance of me 


56 


ADVENTCTRES OF 


out of that dismal abyss, and would cause 
me yet to praise him in the full brightness 
of day. 

A series of these meditations brought me 
(at the end of five weeks, as nearly as I 
could compute it by my lamp) to a prodi- 
gious lake of water, bordered with a grassy 
down, about half a mile wide, of the finest 
verdure I had ever seen : this again was 
flanked with a wood or grove, rising like 
an amphitheatre, of about the same breadth; 
and behind, and above all, appeared the 
naked rock to an immense height. 


PETER WILKl.VS. 


sr 


CHAPTER VIII. 


It is impossible to express my joy at the 
Bight of day once more. I got on the land 
soon as possible, after my dismission 
from the cavern, and, kneeling on the 
ground, returned hearty thanks to God for 
my deliverance, begging, at the same time, 
vrace to improve his mercies, and that I 
might continue under his protection, what 
ever should hereafter befal me, and at last 
<lic on my native soil. 

I unloaded my vessel as well as I could, 
and hauled her up on shore; and, turn- 
ing her upside down, made her a covering 
for my arms and baggage: I then sat down 
to contemplate the place, and eat a most 
delightful meal on the grass, being quite a 
new thing to me. 

I walked over the green-sward to the 
wood, with my gun in my hand, a brace of 
pistols in my girdle, and my cutlass hang- 
ing before me; but, when I was just en- 
tering the wood, looking behind me and 
all around the plain, is it possible, .says I, 
that so much art (for I did not then believe 
it was natural) could have been bestowed 
upon this place, and no inhabitant in it ? 
Ilcre are neither buildings, huts, castle, 


ADVENTURES OF 


f>'d 


nor any living creature to be sf 
cannot be, say.s 1, that this place w 
lor nothing! 

I then went a considerable way into the 
wood, and inclined to have gone much far- 
ther, it being very beautiful, but on second 
tlioughts, judged it best to content myself 
at present with only looking out a sale re- 
treat for that night; for, however agreeable 
the place then seemed, darkness was at 
hand, when every thing about me would 
have more or less of horror in it. 

The wood, at first entrance, was corri- 
posedofthe most charming flowering shrubs 
that can be imagined ; each growing upon 
its own stem, at so convenient a distance 
from the other, that you n ight fairly pass 
between them any way without the least in- 
commodity. Behind them grew number- 
less trees, somewhat taller, of the greatest 
variety of shapes, forms, and verdures, the 
eye ever beheld; each, also, so far asun- 
der as was necessary for the spreading of 
their several branches, and the growth of 
their delicious fruits, without a brush, briar, 
or shrub amongst them. Behind these, and 
still on the higher ground, grew an infinite 
number of very large, tali trees, rriuch loft- 
ier than the former, but intermixed with 
some underwood, which grew thicker and 
closer the nearer you approached the rock. 
I made a shift to force my way thtough 


PETCR WILKINS.. 


59 


thus as far as the roch, which rose as 
perpendicular as a regular building, having 
only here and there some crags and un- 
evennesses. There was, I observed, <& 
space all the way between the underwood 
and the rock, wide enough to drive a cart 
in; and, indeed, I thought it had been left 
for that purpose. 

I walked along this passage a good way, 
having tied a rag of the lining of my jacket 
at the place of my entrance, to know it 
again at my coming back, which I intend- 
ed to be ere it grew dark ; but I found so 
much pleasure in the walk, and surveying 
a small natural grotto which was in tho 
rock, that the daylight forsook me una- 
wares: whereupon I resolved to put olf 
my return unto the boat till next morning, 
and to take up n y lodging for that night 
in the cave. 

I cut down a large bundle of underwood 
with my cutlass, sufficient to stop up the 
mouth of the grotto, and laying me down to 
rest, slept as sound as if I had been on 
board my ship; for I never had one hour’s 
rest together since I shot the gulph till this. 
Nature, indeed, could not have supported 
itself thus long under much labour; but as 
I had nothing to do but only keep the mid- 
dle stream, I began to be as used to guide 
myself in it with my eyes almost closed, 
and my senses retired, as a higgler is to 
drive his cart to market in sleep. 


60 


ADVENTURES DP 


The next morning I awakened sweetly 
refreshed; and, by the sign of my rag, found 
the way again through the underwood to 
my boat. 1 raised that up a little, took 
out some bread and cheese, and having 
cat pretty heartily, laid me down to drink 
at the lake, which looked as clear as crys- 
tal, expecting a most delicious draught ; 
hut I had forgot it brought me from the 
sea, and my first gulph almost poisoned me. 
This was a sore disappointment, for 1 knew 
my water cask was nigh emptied ; and, in- 
deed, turning up my boat again, [ drew out 
all that remained, and drank it, for I was 
much athirst. 

However, I did not despair; I was now 
80 used to God’s providence, and had n 
sense of its operations so riveted in n y 
mind, that though the vast lake of salt wa- 
ter was surrounded by an impenetrable rock 
or barrier of stone, I rested satisfied that T 
should rather find even that yield me a 
fresh and living stream, than that I should 
fKirisli for want of it. 

^Tith this easy mind did I travel five or 
.six miles on tlie side of the lake, and some- 
times stepped into the wood, and w'alked a 
little there, till I had gone almost half the 
diameter of the lake, w'hich lay in a cir- 
' ular or rather an oval figure, I had then 
t'mughts of walking back, to be near rny 
boat and lodging, for fear I should be again 


fET£R WILKIXS. 


61 


1)enighted ifl went much farther ; but, con- 
sidering I had come past no water, and 
possibly I might yet find some if I went 
quite round the lake, I rather chose to take 
up w’ith a new lodging that night, than to 
return ; and I did not want lor a supper, 
having brought out with me more bread and 
cheese than had served for dinner, the re- 
mainder of which was in the lining of my 
jacket. When it grew darkish,! had some 
thoughts of eating ; but I considered, as 1 
was then neither very hungry nor dry, if I 
should eat it would but occasion draught, 
and I had nothing to allay that with ; so I 
contented myself for that night to lay me 
down supperless. 

In the morning I set forward again upon 
my water search, and hoped to compass 
the whole lake that day. I had gone about 
seven miles more, when, at a little distance 
before me, I perceived a small hollow or 
cut in the grass from the wood to the lake; 
thither I hasted with all speed, and blessed 
God for the supply of a fine fresh rill which 
distilling from several small clefts in tho 
rock, had collected itself into one stream 
and cut its way through the green sod to 
the lake. 

I lay dowm with infinite pleasure, and 
swallowed a most cheering draught of the 
precious liquid ; and, sitting on the brink, 
made a good meal of what I had with me, 


cask was of the utmost importance to me, 
and I had thoughts, sometimes, of stop- 
ping it close, and rolling it to the place ; 
but the ascent through the wood to the 
grotto was so steep, that,, besides the fear 
of staving it, which would have been an 
irreparable loss, I judged it impossible to 
accomplish it by rny strength ; so with a 
good deal of discontent, I determined 
to remit both that and the chests for fu- 
ture consideration. 


PETER WILKINS. 


65 


CHAPTER IX 


Having come to a full resolution of fixing 
my residence at the grotto, and making that 
my capital seat, it is proper to give you some 
description of it. 

This grotto, then was a full mile from 
the lake, in the rock which encompassed 
the wood. The entrance was scarcely two 
feet wide, and about nine feet high, rising, 
from the height of seven feet upward, to a 
point in the middle. The cavity was about 
fifteen feet long within, and about five wide. 
Being obliged to lie lengthwise in it, full 
six feet of it were taken up at the farther 
end for my lodging only, as nothing could 
stand on the side of my bed that would 
leave me room to come at it. The remain- 
ing nine feet of the cave’s length were tak- 
en up, by my fire place, which was the 
deepest side of the door-way, ranging with 
my bed, (which I had set close to the rock 
on one side) and took up near three feet in 
length; and my furniture and provisions, of 
one sort or other, so filled up the rest that I 
had much ado to creep between them into 
my bed. 

In the chest which I had taken for a seat 
io the boat, as aforesaid, upon breaking it 


66 


ADVENTURES OP 


open by the water side, I found a mattrass, 
some shirts, shoes, stockings, and several 
other useful things; a small case of bottles 
with cordials in them, some instruments of 
surgery, plasters and salves, all which, to- 
gether with a large quantity of fish that I 
had salted, I carried to the grotto. 

My habitation being thus already over- 
charged, and as I could not, however, bear 
the thoughts of quitting it, or having any 
of my goods exposed to the weather on the 
outside, I was naturally bent on contriving 
how I should increase my accommodations. 
As I had no prospect of enlarging the grot- 
to itself, I could conceive no other way of 
effecting my desire but by the addition of 
an outer room. This thought pleased me 
very much, so that the next day I set myself 
to plan out the building, and trace the foun- 
dation of it. 

I told you before there was about the 
space of a cart-way between the wood and 
rock clear: but this breadth, as I was build- 
ing for life, (so I imagined) not appearing to 
me spacious enough for my new apartment, 
I considered how 1 should extend its bounds 
into the wood. Hereupon I set myself to 
observe what trees stood at a proper dis- 
tance from my grotto, that might serve as 
they stood, with a little management of hew- 
ing and the like, to compose a noble door- 
way, nosts- and sunnorters ; and I found, 


PETER WILKINS. 


G7 

that upon cutting down three of the nearest 
trees, I should answer my purpose in this re- 
spect; and that there were several others, 
about twenty feet from the grotto, and run- 
ning parallel with the rock, the situation of 
which was so happily adapted to my inten- 
tion, that I could make them become as I 
fancied, an out-fence or wall: so I took my 
axe, to cut down my nearest trees; but as 
I was going to strike, a somewhat different 
scheme presented to my imagination that al- 
tered my resolution. 

In conformity with this new plan, I fixed 
the height of my intended ceiling, and saw- 
ed off my nearest trees to that, sloping from 
the sides to the middle, to support cross 
beams for the roof to rest on, and left the 
trunks standing, by way of pillars, both 
lor the use and ornament of the structure. 
In short, I worked hard every day upon my 
building for a month, in which time I had 
cut ail rny timber into proper length for my 
out-works and covering; but was at a great 
stand how to fix my side-posts, having no 
spade or mattock, and the ground almost 
as hard as flint, for to be sure it had never 
been stirred since the creation. I then 
thought I had the worst part of my job to 
get over; however, I went on, and having 
contrived, in most of my upright side quar- 
ters, to take the tops of trees, and leave on 
the lower parts of their cleft, where they 


68 


ADVENTURES OP 


began to branch out and divide from the 
main stem, I set one of them upright against 
the rock, then laid one end of my long ceil- 
ing pieces upon the cleft of it, and laid the 
other end upon a tree on the same side, 
whose top I had also sawed off with a pro- 
per cleft. 1 then went and did the same on 
the other side; after this, I laid on a proper 
number of cross-beams, and tied all very 
firmly together with the bark of young trees 
stripped off in long thongs, which answered 
that purpose very well. Thus I proceeded, 
crossing, joining and fastening all together, 
till the whole roof was so strong and firm 
that there was no stirring any part of it: I 
then spread it over with small lop wood, on 
which I raised, a ridge of dried grass and 
weeds, very thick, and thatched over the 
whole with the leaves of a tree very much 
resembling those of a palm, but much thick- 
er, and not quite so broad; the entire sur- 
face, I might say, was as smooth as a dye, 
and so ordered, by a gentle declivity every 
way, as to carry off the wet. 

Having covered in my building, I was 
next to finish and close the walls of it; the 
skeleton of these was composed of sticks, 
crossing one anotlier checker-wise, and tied 
together: to fill up the voids, I wove upon 
them the longest and most pliable twigs of 
the underwood I could find, leaving only a 
/ioor way on one side, between two stems 


PETER WILKINS, 


09 

of a tree, which dividing in the trunk, at 
about two feet from the ground, grew from 
thence, for the rest of its height, as if the 
branches were a couple of trees a little dis- 
tance from one another, which made a sort 
of stileway to my room. When this was 
all done, I tempered up some earth by the 
lake side, and mixing it to a due consis- 
tency with mud, which I took from the 
lake, applied it as a plastering in this man* 
ner : I divided it into pieces, which I rolled 
up of the size of a foot ball ; these lumps I 
stuck close by one another on the lattice, 
pressing them very hard with my hands, 
which forced part of them quite through 
the small twigs, and then I smoothed both 
sides w'ith the back of my saw, to about the 
thickness of five or six inches ; so that by 
this means I had a wall round my new apart- 
ment a foot thick. This plaster work cost 
me some time, and a great deal of labour, 
as I had a full mile to go to the lake for 
every load of stuff, and could carry but lit- 
tle at once it was so heavy : but there was 
neither w'ater for tempering, nor proper 
earth to make it with, any nearer. At last, 
however, I completed rny building in every 
respect but a door, and for this I was forced 
to use the lid of my sea chest ; which, 
indeed, I would have chosen not to apply 
that way, but I had nothing else that would 
do : and there was, however, this convea- 


TO ADVENTURES OF 

iency, that it had hinges ready fixed there- 
on. 

I now began to enjoy myself in my new 
habitation, like the absolute and sole lord 
of the country, for I had neither seen man 
nor beast since my arrival, save a few ani- 
mals in the trees like our squirrels, and 
some water-rats about the lake ; but there 
were several strange kinds of birds I had 
never before seen, both on the lake and in 
the woods. 

That which now troubled me most was, 
how to get rny w^ater nearer to me than the 
lake ; for I had no lesser vessel than the 
cask, which held above twenty gallons, and 
to bring that up was a fatigue intolerable. 
My next contrivance, therefore, was this : 

I told you I had taken my rhest-!id to make ’ 
a door for an anti-chamber, as I nov/ began 
to call it ; so I resolved to apply the body 
of the chest also to a purpose different 
from that it originally answered. In order 
to this, I went to the lake where the body 
of the chest lay, and sawed it through with- 
in about three inches of the bottom. Of 
the two ends, having rounded them as well 
as I could, 1 n ade two wheels ; and with 
one of the sides I made two more. I burnt 
a hole through the middle of each ; then 
preparing two axle-trees, I fastened them, 
after setting on the wheels, to the bottom 
of the ch^s^, with the nails I had drawn 


PEl'Er.. \V1LK1XS. 


71 


out of it. Having finished this machine, on 
which I bestowed no small labor, I was 
hugely pleased with it, and only wished I 
had a beast, if it were but an ass, to draw 
it ; however, that task I was satisfied to per- 
form myself, since there was no help for it ; 
so I made a good strong cord out of my fish- 
ing-lines, and fixed that to drag it by. When 
all was thus in readiness, filling my water- 
cask, I bound it thereon, and so brought it 
to the grotto, with such ease, comparatively, 
as quite charmed me. Having succeeded 
so well in the first essay, I no sooner unload- 
ed but down went I again with my cart, or 
truckle rather, to the lake, and brought from 
thence on it my other chest, which I had 
lefl entire. 

I had now nothing remaining near the 
lake but my boat, and had half a mind to try 
to bring that up too ; but having so frequent 
occasion for her to get my water in, which 
I used in greater abundance now than I had 
done at first, a great part going to supply 
my domestic uses as well as for drinking, I 
resolved against that, and sought out for a 
convenient dock to stow it in, as a preserva- 
tive against wind and weather which I soon 
after effected : for having pitched upon a 
swampy place, overgrown with a sort ol 
long reeds or flags, I soon cut a trench from 
the lake, with a sort of spade or board that 
I had chopped and sharpened for use. 

Thus having stowed my boat, and looked 


ADVENTURES OF 


72 

over all my goods, and sorted them, and tak- 
en a survey of my provisions,! found I must 
:<-o<)n be in want of the last if I did not 
forthwith procure a supply : for though I 
had victualled so well at setting out, and had 
been very sparing ever since,yet,had it not 
been for a great quantity of fish I took and 
salted in my passage to the gulph,! had been 
to seek for food much sooner. Hereupon,! 
thought it highly prudent to look out before 
! really wanted. 

With this resolution ! accoutred myself, 
as in my first walk with my instruments 
and arms ; but instead of travelling the 
lake-side, ! went along the wood, and 
therein found great plenty of divers kinds 
of fruits ; though ! could scarce persuade 
myself to taste or try the effects of them, 
being so much unlike our own, or any I 
had seen elsewhere. ! observed amongst 
the shrubs abundance of a fruit, or whatev- 
er else you may call it, which grew like a 
rani’s horn; sharp at the point next the 
twig it was fastned to, and circling round 
and round, one fold upon another, which 
gradually increased to the size of my wrist 
in the middle, and then as gradually de- 
creased till it terminated in a point at 
the contrary extreme; all which spiral, if 
it were fairly extended in length, might be 
A yard or an ell long, I surveyed this 


PETER WILKINS, 


73 


Strange vegetable very atteritively ; it had 
a rind, or crust, which I could not break 
with my hand, but taking my knife, and 
making an opening therewith in the shell, 
there issued out a sort of milky liquor in 
great quantity, to at least a pint and half, 
which having tasted, I found as sweet as 
honey, and very pleasant; however, i 
could not persuade myself any more than 
just to taste it. I then found on the large 
rees several kinds of fruits, like pears or 
quinces, but most of them exceeding hard 
and rough, and quite disagreeable; so I 
quitted my hopes of them. 

About three miles from my grotto I met 
with a large space of ground full of a low 
plant, growing only with a single woody 
stalk half a foot high, and from thence is- 
sued a roundhead, about afoot or 10 inches 
in diameter, but quite flat, about three quar- 
ters of an inch thick, and just like a cream 
cheese, standing upon its edge; these grew 
so close together, that upon the least wind 
stirring, their heads rattled against each 
other very musically; for though the stalks 
were so very strong that they would not 
easily either bond or break, yet the fanning 
of the wind upon the broad heads twisting 
the stalks, so as to let the heads strike each 
other, they made a most agreeable sound. 

I stood some time admiring this shrub, 
and then cutting up' one of them, I found 
4 


74 ADVENTURES OP 

it weighed about two pounds: they had a 
tough, green rind or covering, very smooth, 
and the inside full of a stringy pulp, quite 
white. In short, I made divers other trials 
of berries, roots, herbs, and what else 1 
could find, but received little satisfaction 
from any of them, for fear of bad qualities. 
[ returned back ruminating on what things 
1 had seen, resolving to take my cart th<‘ 
next walk, and bring it home loaded with 
difierent kinds of them, in order to make 
my trials thereof at leisure: but my cart 
being too flat, and wanting sides, I consider- 
ed it would carry very little, and that what 
it would otherwise bear on that account, 
5nust tumble and roll off; so I made a fire, 
and turned smith; for with a great deal to 
do, breaking off* the wards of a large key 1 
had, and making it red-hot, I by degrees 
fashioned it into a kind of spindle, and there- 
with making holes quite round the bottom 
of my cart, in them I stuck up sticks, about 
two feet high, that I had tapered at the 
end to fit them. 

Having thus qualified my cart for a load 
1 proceeded with it to the wood, and cut- 
ting a small quantity of each species of 
green, berry, fruit and flower, that I could 
find, and packing them severally in parcels, 
I returned at night heavy laden, and held 
a counsel with myself what use they could 
most properly be applied to. 


PETER WlLKl.NS. 


75 


I had amongst my goods, as 1 said, a 
copper-kettle, which held about a gallon; 
this I set over my fire, and boiled some- 
thing, by turns, of every sort in it, watch- 
ing all the while, and with a stick stir- 
ring and raising up one thing and then 
another, and to Teel when they were boil- 
ed tender: but of upwards of twenty greens 
which I thus dressed, only one proved eat- 
able, all the rest becoming more stringy,, 
tough, and insipid, for the cooking. Tho 
one I have excepted, was a round, thick, 
woolly leafed plant, ^ which boiled tender, 
and tasted as well as spinage ; I therefore 
preserved some leaves of this, to know' it 
again by; and, for distinction, called it by 
the name of tliat herb. 

I then began upon my fruits of the pear 
and quince kind, at least eight different 
sorts; but I found I could make nothing of' 
them for they were most of them as rough 
and crabbed alter stewing as before, so 1 
laid them all aside. Lastly I boiled my 
ram’s horn and cream-cheese, as I called 
them, together. Upon tasting the latter 
of these, it was become so watery and in- 
sipid, I laid it aside as useless. I then cut 
the other, and tasted the juice, which prov- 
ed so exceeding pleasant, that I took a 
large gulph or two of it, and tossed it into 
the kettle again. 

Having now gone through the several 


ABrr.NTur.Es of 


7 (’, 

kinds of rny exotics, I had a mind to re-ex- 
amine them after cooling ; but could make 
nothing of any of my greens but the spin- 
age. 1 tried several berries and nuts too; 
but, save a few sorts of nuts, they were all 
very tasteless. Then I began to review 
the fruits, and could find but two sorts that 
1 had any the least hopes from. I then 
laid the best by, and threw the others 
av/ay. After this process, which took me 
up near a whole day, and clearing my house 
of good-for-noihings, I returned to re-ex- 
amine my cheese, that was grown cold, and 
was now so dry and hard I could not get 
my teeth into it; upon which I was going 
‘o skirn it away out of my grotto, saying, 
Goy thou worthless! (for I always spoke 
aloud my thoughts to myself) I say, I was 
just despatching it, when I checked my 
hands, and, as I could make no impression 
with my teeth , had a mind to try what my 
knife could do. Accordingly I began at 
the edge of the quarter, for I had boiled 
but a quarter of it; but the rind was grown 
so hard and brittle that my knife slipping, 
and raking along the cut-edge of it, scratch- 
ed oft' some powder as white as possible; 
I then scraped it backward and forward 
some time, till I found it would all scrape 
uway in this powder, except the rind; up- 
on which I laid it aside again for farther 
experiment. 


PETER WiLKLVSf. 


77 


During this review, my kettle and rarn’3 
horn had been boiling, till hearing it blub- 
ber very loud, and seeing there was but 
little liquor in it, I whipped it off the fire,, 
for fear of burning its bottom, but took na 
farther notice of it till about two hours af- 
ter; when returning to the grotto, I went 
to wash out my kettle, but could scarce get 
my ram’s horn from the bottom; and when 
I did, it brought up with it a sort of pitchy 
substance, though not so black, and several 
grummy threads hanging to it, drawn out to 
a great length. I wondered at this, and 
thought the shell of the rarn’s horn had 
melted, or some such thing; till venturing 
to put a little of the stuff on my tongue, it 
proved to my thinking as good treacle as I 
had ever tasted. 

This new discovery pleased me very 
much. I scraped all the sweet thing up, 
and laid it near my grotto, in a large leaf 
of one of the trees, (about two feet long, 
and broad in proportion) to prevent its run- 
ning about. In getting this curiosity out of 
my kettle, I found in it a small piece of my 
cheese, which I suppose had been broke 
off in stirring; and biting it, (for it was soft 
enough) I think it was the most lucious 
and delicate morsel I ever put into my lips. 
This une.xpected good fortune put me on 
trying the best of my pears again; so, set- 
ting on my kettle, with very little water, 


78 


ADVENTURES OF 


and putting some of my treacle into it, and 
two of the best pears quartered, I found, 
upon a little boiling, they also became an 
excellent dainty. 

Having succeeded so well, I was quite 
ripe for another journey with my cart, 
which 1 accordingly undertook, taking rny 
rout over the stone-bridge, to see what 
the other side of the lake produced. In 
travelling through the trees, 1 met, amongst 
other things, with abundance of large 
gourds, which, climbing the trees, display- 
ed their fruit to the height of twenty or 
thirty feet above the ground. I cut a great 
many of these, and some very large ones 
of different hues and forms; which of them- 
selves making a great load, with some few 
new sorts of berries and greens, were the 
gathering of that day. But I must tell 
you, I was almost foiled in getting them 
home; for coming to my stone-bridge, it 
rose so steep, and was so much ruggeder 
than the grass or wood-ground, that I was 
at a set upon the first entrance, and terri- 
bly afraid I sliould either break my wheels, 
or pull off my axle-trees. Hereupon I was 
forced to unload and carry my cargo over 
in my arms to the other side of the bridge; 
whither having then, with less fear but 
much caution, drawn my cart, I loaded 
again, and got safe home. 

I was mightily pleased with the acquisi- 


PETEIl WILKJNS. 


79 ^ 


tions of this journey ; for now, thought 1,1 
shall have several convenient family uten- 
sils; so spent the next day or two in scoop- 
ing my gourds and cleaning away the pulp. 
When I had done this, finding the rinds to 
be very weak and yielding, I made a good 
fire, and setting them round it at a moder- 
ate distance to dry, I went about something 
else without doors; but, alas! my hopes 
were ill-founded ; for coming home to turn 
my gourds, and see how dry they vvere, 1 
found them all warped, and turned into a 
variety of uncouth shapes. This put me to 
a stand; but, however, I recovered some 
pieces of them for use, as the bottom parts 
of most of them, after paring away the sides, 
would hold something, though they by no 
means answered my first purpo*se. 

Well, thought I, what if I have lost my 
gourds, 1 have gained experience. I will 
dry them next time with the guts in, and 
having stiffened their rinds in their proper 
dimensions, then try to cleanse them. So, 
next morning, (for I was very eager at it,) 
I set out with my cart for another load; 
and having handed them over the bridge, 
got safe with them to the grotto. These 
by proper management proved exceeding- 
ly valuable to me; answering in one way 
or other, the several uses of plates, bottles, 
pans and divers other vessels. 

I now got a large quantity of the vegeta- 


80 


ADVENTURES OF . 


blo rain’s-lioin, and filled a great many of 
iny gourds with the treacle it yielded; I 
also boiled and dried a large parcel of my 
cheeses, and hung them up for use, for I 
had now for some time made all my bread 
of the latter, scraping and bruising the flour 
and mixing it with my treacle and water; 
and this, indeed, made such a sweet and 
nourishing bread, that I could even have 
lived wholly upon it: but I afterwards very 
much improved it by putting the milky 
juice of the ram’s-horn, unboiled, to my 
flour, in a small quantity, and then baking 
it on the hearth, covered over with em- 
bers. 

This detracted nothing from the sweet- 
ness and mellowness of my bread, but made 
it much lighter than the treacle alone 
would have done. 

Finding there was no fear of starving, 
but so far from it, that from day to day I 
found out something new to add to my re- 
past, either in substantials or by way of de- 
sert, I set me down very well contented 
with my condition. I had nothing to do 
but to lay up store against sickne'ss and the 
dark weather; which last I expected would 
soon be upon me, as the days were now 
exceeding short. Indeed, though I had 
now been here six months, I had never 
seen the sun since I first entered the gulph; 
and .though there was very little rain, and 


81 


PETEIl 'vVil.KLVS. 

but few clouds, yet the brightest day-light 
never exceeded tliat of half an hour after 
sunset in the sumuier time in England, and 
little more than just reddened the sky. For 
the first part of my time here, there was 
but little if any difference between day 
and night; but afterwards, what I might 
call the night, or lesser degree of light, 
took up more hours than the greater, and 
went on gradually increasing as the time, so 
that I perceived total darkness approach- 
ed, such as I had on board my ship the 
year before. 


4 * 


ADVENTUKES OV 


S2 


CHAPTER X. 


I HAD now well stored my grotto with all 
sorts of winter provisions; and feeling the 
weather grow very cold, I expected, and 
waited patiently for, the total darkness. 1 
went little abroad, and employed myself 
within doors, endeavoring to fence against 
the approaching extremity of the cold. For 
this purpose, I prepared a quantity of rush- 
es; which being very dry, I spread them 
smoothly on the floor of my bed-chamber 
a good thickness, and over them laid my 
mattrass. Then I made a double sheet of 
the boat’s awning, or sail that I had brought 
to cover my goods; and having skewered 
together several of the jackets and clothes 
I found in the chest, of them I made 
coverlid; so that I lay very commodiously, 
and made very long nights of it now the 
dark season was set in. 

As I lay awake one night or day, I know 
not which, I very plainly heard the sound 
of several human voices, and sometimes 
very loud; but though I could easily dis- 
tinguish the articulation, I could not un- 
derstand the least word that was said; nor 
did the voices seem at all to me like such 
as I had any where heard before, but much 


FILTER WILKIa'S. 


83 ‘ 


toiler and more musical. This startled 
me, and 1 rose immediately, slipping on my 
clothes, and taking my gun in my hand, 
(which I always kept charged, being my 
constant travelling companion) and my cut- 
lass. Thus equipped, I walked into ray 
anti-chamber, where I heard the voices 
n.uch plainer, till, after some little time, 
they by degrees died quite away. After 
watching here, and harkening a good while, 
hearing nothing, 1 walked back into the 
grotto and laid me down again on my bed. 
1 was inclined to open the door of my anti- 
chamber, but I own I was afraid; besides, 
I considered that if I did, I could discover 
nothing at a distance, by reason of the 
thick and gloomy wood that enclosed me. 

I had a thousand different surmises about 
the meaning of this odd incident; and could 
not conceive how any human creatures 
should be in my kingdom (as I called it) 
but myself and 1 never yet see them, or 
any trace of their habitation. But then 
again I reflected, that though I had sur- 
rounded the whole lake, yet 1 had not trac- 
ed the out-bounds of the wood next the 
rock, where there might be innumerable 
grottos like mine; nay, perhaps, some as 
spacious as that I had sailed through to the 
lake; and that though I had not perceived 
it, yet this beautiful spot might be very 
well peopled. But, says I again, if there 


si 


ADVEMUll£S OF 


be any such beings as I am fancying here, 
surely they don’t skulk in their dens, like 
savage beasts, by daylight, and only patrole 
for prey by night! if so, 1 shall probably 
become a delicious morsel for them ere 
long, if they meet with me. This kept me 
.still more within doors than before, and I 
liardly ever stirred out but for water or 
firing. At length, hearing no more voices, 
nor seeing any one, I began to be more 
composed in rny mind, and at last grew 
persuaded that it was all a mere delusion 
and only a fancy of mine, without any real 
f )undation ; and sometimes, though I was 
sure I was fully awake when I heard them, 
J persuaded myself I had rose in my sleep, 
upon a dream of voices, and rec illeoted 
V. ith myself the various stories I had heard 
when a boy, of walking in one’s sleep, and 
the surprising effects of it; so the wlule 
no’ion was now blown over. 

I had not enjoyed iny tranquillity above a 
'eeek, before my fears were roused aficsh, 
liearing the same sound of voices twice tlic 
same night, but not many minutes at a tiuh . 
^That gave me the most pain was, that thev 
were at such a distance, as I judged bytlie 
languor of the sound, that if I had opened 
my door, I could not have seen the utter - 
ers through the trees, and I was resolved 
not to venture out; but then I determined, 
if they should come again any thing near 


PE'r;:R WILKINS. 


85 


iny grotto, to open the door, see who they 
were, and stand upon my defence, whatev- 
er came of it ; for, says I, my entrance is 
so narrow and high, that more than one 
cannot come at a time ; and I can with ease 
despatch twenty of them before they can 
secure me, if they should be savages ; but 
if they prove sensible human creatures, it 
will be a great benefit to me to join my- 
self to their society. Thus had I formed 
iny scheme, but I heard no more of them 
for a great while; so that at length, begin- 
ning to grow ashamed of my fears, I be- 
came tranquil again. 

The day now returning, and with it my 
labors, I applied to my usual callings ; but 
my mind ran strangely upon viewing the 
rock quite round, that is, the whole circuit 
of my dominions ; for, thinks I, there may 
possibly be an outlet tlirough the rock into 
some other country, from whence the per- 
sons I heard may come. As soon therefore 
as the days grew towards the longest I 
prepared for my progress. Having lived 
so well at home since my settlement, I did 
not care to trust only to what I could pick 
up in the woods for my subsistence during 
this journey, which would not only take up 
time in procuring, but perhaps not agree 
with me; so I resolved to carry a supply 
with me, proportionate to the length of my 
perambulation. Hereupon considering, that 


ADVE.NTURES of 


cJU 

though my walk round the lake was linish- 
«}d iu two days, yet as I now intended to go 
round by the rock, the way would be much 
longer, and perhaps more troublesome than 
that was; I resolved to load the cart with 
a variety of food, bread and fruit especial- 
ly, and draw that with me. 

Thus provided, I sallied forth with great 
cheerfulness, and proceeded in the main 
easily ; though in some places I was forced 
to make way with my hatchet, the ground 
was so over-run with underwood. I very 
narrowly viewed the rock as I went, bottom 
and sides, all the way, but could see nothing 
like a passage through it, or indeed any 
more than one opening, or inlet, which I 
entered for about thirty yards, but it was not 
above three feet wide, and terminated in the 
solid rock. 

After some days travel, (making all tho 
observations I could on the several plants, 
shrubs, and trees, which I met with, partic- 
ularly where any of these occurred to me 
entirely new,) finding myself a little faint- 
ish, I had amind for a sup of ram’s-horn 
juice ; so I cut me one, but upon opening 
it found therein only a pithy pulp, and no 
ways fit to taste. I supposed by this 1 was 
too early for the milk, it being three 
months later the last year when 1 cut them. 
Hereon, seeing one upon another shrub, 
which by its rusty color, I judged might 


PETER WILKINS* 


87 


have hung all the winter, I opened that, 
and found it full of milk ; but putting some 
of it into my mouth, it was as sour as any 
vinegar I ever tasted in my life. So, thinks 
I, (and said so too; for, as I told you before 
I always spoke out,) here’s sauce for some- 
thing when I want it; and this gave me a 
hint to store myself with these gourds, to 
hang by for vinegar the next winter. 

By this time I had come almost to my rill 
w'hen I entered upon a large plat of ground 
miserably over-run with weeds, matted to- 
gether very thick. These choaked up rny 
M’heels in such manner that I could neith- 
er free them with my hands, nor get either 
backw’ards or forwards, they binding my cart 
down like so many cords ; so that I w'as 
obliged to cut my way back again with my 
hatchet, and take a sweep round in the wood 
on the outside of these weeds. 

In all my life I never saw any thing of its 
size, for it was no thicker than a whip cord, 
so strong as this weed; and what raised 
my wonder was the length of it, for I drew 
out pieces of it near fifty feet long, and 
even they were broken at the end, so that 
it might be as long again for ought I know, 
for it was so matted and twisted together, 
that it was a great trial of patience to un- 
tangle it ; but that which Was dryest, and 
to me looked the rottenest and weakest, 1 
found to be much the strongest. Upon ex- 


88 


ADVENTURES OF 


animation oi' its parts, I discovered it to be 
composed of an infinite number of small 
threads, spirally overlaying and infolding 
one another. 

As I saw but few things that I could not 
find a use for, so this I perceived would 
serve all the common purposes of pack- 
thread a thing I was often in want of 

This inclined rne to take a load of it 
home with me. Indeed the difficulty of 
getting a quantity in the condition I desired 
it, puzzled me a little ; for, says I, if I cut 
Up a good deal of it with my hatchet, as 
I first designed, I shall only have small 
lengths good for little, and to get it in pieces 
of any considerable length, so as to be of 
service, will require much time and labor. 
But reflecting how much I needed it, and 
of what benefit it would be, I resolved to 
make a trial of what I could do ; so, with- 
out more hesitation, I went to work, and 
cutting a fibre close to its root, I extracted 
that thread from all its windings, just as one 
does an entangled whipcord. When I had 
thus disengaged a sufficient length, I cut 
that off; and repeating the like operation, 
in about three hours’ time, but with no 
little toil, I made up my load of different 
lengths just to my liking. Having finished 
this task, I filled the gourd, brought for 
that purpose, for water ; and having first 
viewed the whole remaining part of the 


pETtR ;viL/:i:;s. 


89 


rock returned over the stone bridge home 
again. 

This journey, though it took me up sev- 
eral days, and was attended with some fa- 
tigue had yet given me great satisfaction ; 
for now I was persuaded I could not have 
one rival or enemy, to fear in my whole 
dominions. And from the impossibility, as 
I supposed of there being any, or of the 
ingress of any, unless by the same passage 
I entered at, and by which I was well as- 
sured they could never return, I grew con- 
tented, and blamed myself for the folly of 
my imaginary voices, as I called them then, 
and took it for a distemper of the fancy 
only. 

The next day I looked over^my load of 
matweed, having given it that name, and 
separated the different lengths from each 
other. I then found I had several pieces 
between forty and fifty feet long, of which 
I resolved to get a good number more, to 
make me a drag-net, that I might try for 
some fish in the lake. A day or two after, 
therefore, I brought home another load of 
it. Then I picked out a smooth level spot 
upon the green-sward, and having prepar- 
ed a great number of short wooden pegs, 
I strained a line of the matweed about ten 
feet long, tying it at each end to a peg, and 
stuck a row of pegs along by that line, about 
two inches asunder; I next strained anoth- 


90 


ADVENTURES OP 


or line of the same length, parallel to thatj 
at the distance of forty leet from it, and 
stuck pegs thereby, corresponding to the 
former row; and from each peg on one side 
to the opposite peg on the other, I tied a 
like length of my mat-line, quite through 
the whole number of pegs; when the work 
looked like the inside of a harpsichord. I 
afterwards drove pegs in like manner along 
the whole length of the two outermost long- 
er lines, and tied shorter lines to them, so 
that the wdiole affair then represented the 
squares of a racket; the corners of each of 
which squares I tied very tight with small- 
er pieces of the lino, till I had formed a 
complete net of forty feet long and ten 
wude. 

When I had finished my net, as 1 thought, 
I. wrapped several stones in rags, and fas- 
tened them to the bottom to sink it, and 
some of the smallest unscooped dry gourds 
to the top, to keep that part buoyant. I 
now longed to begin my new trade, and 
carried the net to my boat with that inten- 
tion; but after two or three hauls I found 
it would not answer for want of length; 
(though by chance I caught a blackish fish 
without scales, a little bigger than whiting, 
but much longer, which stuck by the gills 
in it;) so I left the net in the boat, resolv- 
ing to make an addition toil with all speed; 
and returning to my grotto, I supped on the 


PEI'LIl W'lLKlXS. 


3i 

fish I had taken, and considered how to 
pursue mj enterprize with better effect. 

I provided me with another large par- 
cel of line; and having brought two more 
lengths to [jerfection, I joined all together, 
and fixed one end on siiore, by a pole I had 
cut for that j)urpose, I launched my boat, 
with the other end in it, taking a sweep the 
length of my not round to my stick again, 
and getting on shore, iiauled up rny net by 
both ends together. I now found I had 
mended my instrument, and taken a proper 
way of applying it: for by this means, in 
five hauls, I caught about sixteen fish of 
three or four difl’erent sorts, and one shell- 
fish, almost like a lobster, but without great 
claws, and with a very suiall short tail ; 
which made me think, as the body was 
thrice as long as a lobster’s in proportion, 
that it did not swim backwards, like that 
creature, but only crawled forwards, (it hav- 
ing lobster-like legs, but much shorter and 
stronger) and that the legs all standing so 
forward, its tail was by its motion, to keep 
the hinder part of the body from dragging 
upon the ground, as I observed it did when 
the creature Avalked on land, it then fre- 
(juentiy Happing its short tail. 

These fish made me rich in provisions. 
Some of them 1 eat fresh, and the remain- 
der I salted down. But of all the kinds, 


92 


ADVCXT'JIILS OF 


inj lobster was the most delicious food, and' 
made me almost three meals. 

Thus hiiding there were fish to be had, 
though mj present tackle seemed suitable 
enough to my family, yet I could not rest, 
till I had improved my fishery by enlarging 
rny net; for as it was, even with my late 
addition, I must either sweep little or no 
compass of ground, or it would have no bag 
behind me. Upon this I set to work, and 
shortly doubled the dimensions of it, I had 
thou a mind to try it at the mouth of my 
rill; so taking it with me the next time I 
crossed the lake for water, and fastening it 
to my pole, close by the right side of the 
rill, I swept a long compass round to the 
left, and closing the ends, attempted to draw 
it up in the hollow cut of the rill. But by 
the time 1 had gathered up two thirds of 
the net, I felt a resistance that quite amazed 
me. In short, I was not able to stand 
the force I felt. Whereupon, sitting down 
in the rill, and clapping my feet to the two 
sides of it, I exerted all my strength, till 
finally I became conqueror, and brought up 
so shocking a monster, that I was just rising 
to runfor my life on the sight of it. But re- 
collecting that the creature was hampered, 
and could not make so much resistance on 
the land as in the water, 1 returned to drag 
the net up as far from the rill as my strength 
and breath would permit me; and then run- 


PETER WILKiN'S. 


93 


ning to the boat for my gun. I returned to 
the net, to examine rny prize. Indeed, I 
had not instantly resolution enough to sur- 
vey it : and when at length I assumed 
courage enough to do so, 1 could not per- 
fectly distinguish the parts, they were so 
discomposed ; but taking hold of one end 
of the net, I endeavoured to disentangle the 
thing, and then drawing the net away, a most 
surprizing sight presented itself ; the crea- 
ture reared upright, about three feet high 
covered all over with long black shaggy hair, 
like a bear, which hung down from his head 
and neck quite along his back and sides. 
He had two hns, very broad and large which 
as he stood erect, looked like arms, and 
those he waved and whirled about with in- 
credible velocity ; and though I wondered 
at first at it, I found afterwards it was the 
motion of these fins that kept him upright; 
for I perceived when they ceased their 
motion he fell flat on his belly. He had 
two very large feet, which he stood upon 
but could not run, and but barely walk on 
them, which made me in the less haste to 
despatch him; and after he had stood upon 
his feet about four minutes, clapping his 
fins to his sides, he fell upon his belly. 

When I found he could not attack me, I 
was moving closer to him; but, upon sight 
of my stirring, up he rose again, and whirl- 


ADVENTURHS OF 


9 1 

cd his fins about as before so long as he 
stood. And now, I viewed him round, and 
found he had no tail at all, and that his hin- 
der fins, or feet, very much resembled a 
large frog’s, but were at least ten inches 
broad, and eighteen long, from heel to toe; 
and his legs were so short, that when he 
stood upright his breech bore upon the 
ground. His belly, which he kept to- 
wards me, was of an ash color, and very 
broad, as was also his breast. His eyes 
were small and blue, with a large black 
sight in the middle, and rather of an oval 
than round make. He had a long snout 
like a boar, and vast teeth. Thus having 
surveyed him near half an hour living, I 
made him rise up once more and shot him 
in the breast. He fell, and giving a loud 
howl, or groan, expired. 

I had then time to see what else 1 had 
caught ; and turning over the net, found a 
few of the same fish I had taken before, 
and some others of a fiattish make, and one 
little lump of flesh unformed ; which last, 
by all I could make of it, seerned to be 
either a spawn or young one of that I had 
shot. 

The great creature was so heavy, I was 
afraid 1 muf^t have cut him in pieces to get 
him to the l;oat ; but with much ado, hav- 
ing stowed the rest, 1 tumbled him on board. 
I then fi'led my v ater-cask, and rowed 


PETCR 'IV;LK!\S. 


35 


homewards. Being got to land, I was oblig- 
ed to bring down my cart, to carry my 
great beast-fisli, as I termed him, up to the 
grotto- When I had got him thither, I had 
a notion of first tasting, and then, if I liked 
his flesh, of salting him down, and drying 
him ; so liaving flayed him, and taken out 
the guts and entrails, I broiled a piece of 
him ; but it made such a blaze, that most of 
the fat ran into the fire, and tlie flesh prov- 
ed so dry and rank that I could no ways 
endure it. 

I then began to be sorry I had taken so 
much pains for no profit, and had endan- 
gered my net into the bargain, (for that had 
got a crack or two in the scuffle) and I was 
thinking to throw away my large but worth- 
less acquisition. 

However, as I was now prone to weigh- 
ing all things, before I threw it away, I re- 
solved to consider a little ; whereupon I 
changed my mind. Says I, here is a good 
warm skin, which, when dry, will make me 
a rare cushion. Again, I have for a long 
while had no light besides that of the day ; 
but now, as this beast’s fat makes such a 
blaze in the fire, and issues in so great a 
quantity from such a small piece as I broil- 
ed, why may not I boil a good tallow or oil 
out of it ? and if I can I have not made so 
bad a hand of my time as I thought for. 

In short I went immediately to work 


96 


ADVENTURES OF 


Upon this subject, (for I never let a project 
cool after I had once started it) and boiled 
as much of the flesh as the kettle would 
liold, and letting it stand to cool, I found it 
turned out a very good oil for burning ; — 
though, I confess, I thought it would rather 
have made tallow. This success quickened 
my industry ; and I repeated the operation 
till I got about ten quarts of this stuff, which 
very well rewarded my labor. After I had 
extracted as much oil as I could from the 
beast-fish, the creature having strongly im- 
pressed my imagination, I conceived a new 
fancy in relation to it ; and that was, having 
heard him make a deep howling groan at 
his death, I endeavored to persuade myself, 
and at last verily believed, that the voices I 
had so often heard, in the dark weather, 
proceeded from numbers of these creatures, 
diverting themselves in the lake, or sporting 
together on the shore ; and this thought, in 
its turn, contributed to ease my apprehen- 
sions in that respect. 


P£TER WILKINS. 


97 


CHAPTER XI. 


One night I heard the Voices again, I de- 
termined to go forth and face the beings 
from whom they proceeded at all risks, but 
I had scarce got my gun in my hand, to 
pursue my resolution of showing myself to 
those who uttered them, when I felt such a 
thump upon the roof of my ante-chamber, 
as shook the whole fabric, and set me all 
over into a tremour; I then heard a sort of 
shriek, and a rustle near the door of my 
apartment; all which together seemed very 
terrible. But I, having before determined 
to see what and who it was, re.solutely open- 
ed my door and leaped out. I saw no- 
body ; all was quite silent, and nothing that 
I could perceive but my own fears a mov- 
ing. I went then sofily to the corner of the 
building, and there looking down by the 
glimmer of my lamp, which stood in the win- 
dow, I saw something in human shape lying 
at my feet. I gave the word. Who is 
there? Still no one answered. My heart 
was ready to force a way through my side. 
I was for a while fixed to the earth like a 
statue. At length, recovering, I stepped 
in, fefch:;d my (ariip, and returning, saw 
a m;'"! n:cn:3ic lying apparently in 


98 


ADVENTUJIJ^S OF 


a state of insensibility on the ground 
Upon viewing her other parts, (for I had 
never yet removed my eyes from her face) I 
found she had a sort of brown chaplet, 
like lace, round her head, under and about 
which her hair was tucked up and twined; 
and she seemed to me to be clothed in a 
thin hair-coloured silk garment, which upon 
trying to raise her, I found to be quite 
warm, and therefore hoped there was life 
in the body it contained. I then took her 
into my arms, and treading a step backwards 
with her, I put out my lamp ; however, 
having her in my arms, I conveyed her 
through the door-way in the dark into my 
grotto; here I laid her upon my bed, and 
then ran out for my lamp. 

I re-entered my grotto, shut my door, 
and lighted my lamp, when going to the fair 
being, I thought I saw her eyes stir a little. 
I then set the lamp further off, for fear of 
offending them if she should look up; and 
warming the last glass I had reserved of 
my madeira, I carried it to her, but she 
never stirred. I now supposed the fall had 
absolutely killed her and was prodigiously 
grieved; when, laying my hand on her breast 
I perceived the fountain of life had some 
motion. This gave me infinite pleasure; 
so, not despairing, I dipped my fijiger in 
the wine, and moistened her lips with it two 
or three times, and imagined they opened a 


PETER WILKINS. 


99 


little. Upon this I bethought me, and tak- 
ing a tea-spoon, I gently poured a few 
drops of the wine by that means into her 
mouth. Finding she swallowed it, I poured 
in another spoonful, and another till I 
brought her to herself so well as to be able 
to sit up. All this I did by a glimmering- 
light, which the lamp afforded from a dis- 
tant part of the room, where I had placed it, 
as I have said, out of her sight. 

I then spoke to her, and asked divers 
questions; in return of which, she uttered 
a language I had no idea of, though in the 
most musical tone, and with the sweetest 
accent I ever heard. It grieved me I could 
not understand her. However, thinking 
she might like to be on her feet, I went to 
lift her off the bed, when she felt to my 
touch in the oddest manner imaginable; 
for, while in one respect, it was as though 
she had been cased up in whalebone, it was 
at the same time as soft and warm as if she 
had been naked. 

I then took her in my arms and carried 
her into my ante-charnber again, where I 
would fain have entered into conversation, 
hut found she and I could make nothing of 
it together unless we could understand one 
another’s speech. 

You may imagine we stared heartily at 
each other, and I doubted not but she won- 
dered as much as I by what means wo 


100 


ADVENTURES OP 


t^ame so near eacli other. I offered her 
every thing in my grotto, which I thought 
tnight plrjasc her; some of which she grate- 
fully received, as appeared by her looks 
and behavior. But she avoided my lamp, 
and always placed her back toward it. I 
observing that, and ascribing it to her mod- 
esty in my company, let her have her will, 
and took care to set it in such a position 
myself as seemed agreeable to her, though it 
deprived me of a prospect I very much ad- 
mired. 

After we had sat a good while, now and 
then, I may say, chattering to one another, 
she got up, and took a turn or two about 
the room. When I saw her in that attitude, 
her grace and motion perfectly charmed me, 
and her shape was incomparable ; but the 
strangeness of her dress put me to my trumps 
to conceive either what it was, or how it 
was put on. 

Well, we supped together, and I set the 
best of every thing I had before her, nor 
could either of us forbear speaking in our 
own tongue, though we were sensible neith- 
er of us understood the other. After supper 
I gave her some of my cordials, for which 
she showed great tokens of thankfulness, 
and often, in her way, by signs and gestures, 
which were very far from being insignifi- 
cant, expressed her gratitude for my kind- 
ness. When supper had been some time 


PETER WILKINS. 


JOI 


over, I showed her my bed, and made signs 
for her to go to it ; but she seemed very shy of 
that till 1 showed her where I meant to lie 
myself, by pointing to myself, then to my 
bed. When at length, 1 had made this mat- 
ter intelligible to her, she lay down very com- 
posedly; and after I had taken care of my 
fire, and set the things I had been using for 
supper in their places, I laid myself down 
too; for I could have no suspicious thoughts, 
or fear of danger, from a form so excellent. 

I treated her for some time with all the 
respect imaginable, and never suffered her 
to do the least part of my work. It was very 
inconvenient to both of us only to know each 
other’s meaning by signs; but I could not be 
otherwise than pleased to see, that she en- 
deavored all in her power to learn to talk 
like me. Indeed I was not behind-hand with 
her in that respect, striving all I could to 
imitate her. What I all the while wondered 
at was, she never showed the least disquiet 
at her confinement; for I kept my door shut 
at first, through feai; of losing her, thinking 
she would have t^en an opportunity to rua 
away from me; for little did I then think 


102 


ADVENTURES OF 


CHAPTER XII. 


Aft|:r niy new love had been with me a 
fortnight, finding my water run low, I was 
greatly troubled at the thought of quit- 
ting her at any time to go for more; and 
having hinted it to her, with seeming unea- 
siness, she could not for a while fathom my 
meaning but when she saw me much confus- 
ed, she came at length, by the many signs I 
made to imagine it was my concern for her 
which made me so; whereupon she expres- 
sively enough signified I might be easy, for 
she did not fear any thing happening to her in 
rny absence. On this, as well as I could de- 
clare my meaning, I entreated her not to go 
away before my return. As soon as she under- 
stood what I signified to her, by actions, she 
sat down, with her arms across, leaning her 
head against the wall, to assure me she would 
not stir. However, as I had before nailed a 
cord to the out side of the door, I tied that 
for caution’s sake to the tree, Tor fear of the 
worst : but I believe she had not the least 
design of removing. j 

I took my boat, net, and water-cask, as 
usual, desirous |)f bringing her home a fresh 
fish dinner, and' succeeded 'so well as to 


PETER WILKIxKS. 


10:$ 

Catch enough for several good meals and to 
spare. What remained I salted, and found 
she liked better than the fresh, after a few 
days salting ; though she did not so well 
approve of that I had formerly picWed and 
dried. As my salt grew very low, though 
I had been as sparing of it as possible, I 
now resolved to try making some ; and the 
next summer I effected it. 

Thus we spent the remainder of the win- 
ter together, till the days began to be light 
enough for me to walk abroad a little in the 
middle of them ; for I was now under no 
apprehensions of her leaving me, as she had 
so many opportunities of doing so, but nev- 
er once attempted it. 

I must here make one reflection upon 
our conduct, which you will almost think 
incredible, viz. that we two, of different 
sexes, not wanting our peculiar desires, ful- 
ly inflamed with love to each other, and no 
outward obstacle to prevent our wishes, 
should have been together, under the same 
roof, alone for five months, conversing to- 
gether from morning to night, (for by this 
time she pretty well understood English, 
and I her language) and yet I should never 
have clasped her in my arms, or have shewn 
any farther amorous desires to her, than 
what deference I had all along paid her 
could give her room to surmise. Nay, I 
can affirm, that I did not even then know 


104 


ADVENTURES OF 


that the covering she wore was not the work 
of art, but the work of nature, for \ 
really took it for silk ; though it must be 
premised that I had never seen it by any 
other light than of my lamp. Indeed, the 
modesty of her carriage, and sweetness of 
her behaviour to me, had struck into me 
such a dread of offending her, that though 
uothing upori earth could be more capable 
of exciting passion than her charms, I 
could have died rather than have attempted 
only to salute her without actual invitation. 

When the weather cleared up a little, by 
the lengthening of day-light, I took cour- 
age one afternoon to invite her to walk 
with me to the lake ; but she sweetly ex- 
cused herself from it, whilst there was 
such a frightful glare of light, as she said ; 
but, looking out at the door, told me, if I 
would not go out of the wood, she would 
accompany me : so we agreed to take a 
turn only there. I first went myself over 
the stile of the door, and thinking it rather 
too high for her, I took her in my arms and 
lifted ner over. But eveu when I had her 
in this manner, I knew not what to make 
of her clothing, it sat so true and close ; 
but seeing her by a steadier and truer light 
in the grove, though a heavy, gloomy one, 
than my lamp had afforded, I begged she 
would lef ine know of what silk or ether 


PETER WILKLNS. 


105 


composition her garment was made. Siie 
smiledj and asked me if mine was not the 
same under my jacket. — No lady, says 1, 

I have nothing but my skin under my 
clothes. — Why, what do you mean } re- 
plies she somewhat tartly ; but, indeed, I 
was afraid something was the matter, b;, 
that nasty covering you wear, that yoi. 
might not be seen. Are not you a glumn. } — 
Yes, says I, fair creature. (Here though 
you may conceive she spoke part English, 
part her own tongue, and I the same, as we 
best understood each other, yet 1 shall give 
you our discourse, word for word, in plain 
English.) Then, says she, I arn afraid you 
rnhst have been a very bad man and have 
been crashee, which I should be very sorry 
to hear. — I told her I believed we were ' 
none of us so good as we nrhght be, but I 
hoped my faults had not at most exceeded 
other men’s ; but I had suffered abundance 
of hardships in my time ; and at last Prov- 
idence having settled me in this spot, from 
whence I had no prospect of ever depart- 
ing, it was none of the least of its mercies 
to bring to my knowledge and company 
the most exquisite piece of all his works in 
her, which I should acknowledge as long as I 
lived. — She was surprised at this discourse, 
and asked me, (if I did not mean to impose 
upon her, and was indeed incrashee glumm) 

5 * 


ADVENTURES OF 


lOG 

why I should tell her I had no prospect of 
departing from hence. Have not you, says 
she, the same prospect that I or any other 
person has of departing ? Sir, added she, 
you don’t do well, and really I fear you are 
slit, or you would not wear this nasty cum- 
bersome coat, (taking hold of my jacket- 
.sleeve,) if you were not afraid of showing 
the signs of a bad life upon your natural 
clothing. 

1 could not for my heart imagine what 
way there was to get out of my dominions. 
But certainly, thought I, there must be 
some or other, or she would not be so 
peremptory. And as to my jacket, and 
showing myself in my natural clothing, I 
profess she made me blush ; and, but for 
shame, I would haye stripped to my skin 
to haye satisfied her. But, madam, says 1, 
pray pardon me, for you are really mistak- 
en ; I have examined every nook and cor- 
ner of this new world, in which we now are, 
and can find no possible outlet ; nay even 
by the same way I came in, I am sure it is 
impossible to get out again. — Wby,says she, 
•what outlets have you searched for, or what 
way can you expect to get out, but by the 
way you came in ^ And why is that impos- 
sible to return by again ; If you are not 
slit, is not the air open to you ? Will not 


PETEK WILKINS. 


107 


fis other people? I tell you, sir, 1 fear you 
have been slit for your crimes; and though 
you have been so good to me, that I can’t 
help loving of you heartily for it, yet if I 
thought you had been slit, I would not, 
nay, could not, stay a moment longer with 
you; no, though it should break my heart 
to leave you. 

I found myself now in a strange quandary, 
longing to know what she meant by being 
slit ; and had a hundred strange notions in 
my head whether I was slit or not; for 
though I knew what the word naturally sig- 
nified well enough, yet in what manner, or 
by what figure of speech she applied it to 
me I had no idea of. But seeing her look 
a little angrily upon me, Pray, madam, 
says I, don’t be otiended, if I take the liber- 
ty to ask you what you mean by the word 
crashee, so often repeated by you; for I am 
an utter stranger to what you mean by it. 
Sir, says she, pray answer me first, how 
you came here? Madam, replied I, if you 
will please to take a walk to the verge of 
the wood, I will show you the very pas- 
sage. Sir, says she, I perfectly know the 
range of the rocks all round, and by the 
least description without going to see them, 
can tell from which you descended. In 
truth, said I, most charming lady, I de- 
scended from no rock at all; nor would I 
for a thousand worlds attempt what could 


108 


ADVENTURES OP 


not be accomplished but by my destruc- 
tion. Sir, say she, in some anger, it is 
false, and you impose upon me. I declare 
to you, says I, madam, what I tell you is 
strictly true; I never was near the summit 
of any of the surrounding rocks or any 
thing like it; but as you are not far from 
the verge of the wood, be so good as to 
step a little further, and I will show you my 
entrance in hither. Well, says she, now this 
odious dazzle of light is lessened, I don’t 
care if I do go with you. 

When we came far enough to see the 
bridge, There, madam, said I, there is my 
entrance, where the sea pours into this 
lake frojii yonder cavern. It is not possi- 
ble says she; this is another untruth ; and 
as I see you would deceive me, and are not 
to be believed, farew'ell; I must be gone. 
But, hold, says she, let me ask you one 
thing more; that is by what means did you 
come through that cavern? You could 
not have used to have come over the 
ruck? — Bless me, madam ! says I, do you 
think I and my boat could fly! Come over 
the rock? did you say. No, madam; I 
sailed from the great sea, and main ocean , 
in my boat, through that cavern into this 
very lake here. What do you mean by 
your boat? says she. You seem to make 
two things of your boat you say you sailed 
with and yourself. I do so, replied I; for, 


PETER WILKINS. 


109 


madam, I take myself to be good flesh and 
blood, but my boat is made of wood and oth- 
er materials. Is it so ^ says she. And 
pray, where is this boat that is made of 
w’ood and other materials? under your jack- 
et ? Lord, madam ! says I, you put me in 
fear that you was angry ; but now I hope 
you only joke with me. What, put a boat 
under my jacket ! No, madam, my boat is 
in the lake. What more untruths ! says 
she. No, madam, I replied : if you would 
be satisfied of what I say, (every word of 
which is as true as that my boat now is in 
the lake) pray walk with me thither, and 
make your own eyes judges what sincerity I 
speak with. To this she agreed, it grow- 
ing dusky ; but assured me if I did not give 
her good satisfaction, I should see her no 
more. 

We arrived at the lake ; and going to my 
w'et-dock. Now, madam, says I, pray satis- 
fy yourself whether I speak true or no. — 
She looked at my boat, but could not yet 
frame a proper notion of it. Says I, mad- 
am in this very boat I sailed from the main 
ocean through that cavern into this lake ; 
and shall at last think myself the happiest 
of all men if you continue with me, love 
me, and credit me ; and I’ll promise you I’ll 
never deceive you, but think my life happi- 
Iv spent in your service. I found she was 
hardly content yet to beKeve what I told 


no 


ADVENTURES OF 


her of rny oat to be true ; till I stepped 
into it, and pushed from the shore, took my 
oars in rny hand, and sailed along the lake 
by her, as she walked on the shore. At 
last, she seemed so well reconeiled to me 
and my boat, that she desired I would take 
her in. I immediately did so, and we sail- 
ed a good way ; and as we returned to my 
dock, I 'escribed to her how I , rocured the 
water we drank, and brought it to shore in 
that vessel. 

Well, says she, I have sailed, as you call 
it, many a mile in my life time, but never 
in such a thing as this. I own it will serve 
very well where one has a great many 
things to carry from place to place ; but 
to be laboring thus at an oar, when one in- 
tends pleasure in sailing, is, in my mind, a 
most ridiculous piece of slavery. Why, 
pray, madam, how would you have me 
sail ? for getting into the boat only, will 
not carry us this way or that without using 
some force. But, says she, pray where 
did you get this boat, as you call it ? O, 
madam ! says I, that is too long and fatal a 
story to begin upon now ; this boat was 
made many thousand miles from hence, 
among a people coal-black, a quite differ- 
ent sort from us ; and when I first had it, 
I little thought of seeing this country ; but 
I will make a faithful relation of all to you 
when we come home. Indeed, I began to 


PETER WILKIXS. 


Ill 


wish heartily wc were there, for it grew in- 
to the night ; and having strolled so far 
without my gun, I was afraid of what I had 
before seen and heard, and hinted our re- 
turn ; but I found my motion was disagree- 
able to her, and so 1 dropped it. 

I now perceived, and wondered at it, that 
the later it grew, the more agreeable it 
seemed to her ; and as I had now brought 
her into good humor again, by seeing and 
sailing in my boat, I was not willing to pre- 
vent its increase. I told her if she pleas- 
ed, we vv^ould land, and when I had dock- 
ed my boat, I would accompany her where 
and as long as she liked. As w’e talked 
and walked by the lake, she made a little 
run before me, and sprung into it. Per- 
ceiving this, I cried out ; whereupon she 
merrily called on me to follow her. The 
light was then so dim, as prevented my hav- 
ing more than a confined sight of her 
when she jumped in ; and looking earnest- 
ly after her, I could discern nothing more 
than a small boat in the water, which skim- 
med along at so great a rate that I almost 
lost sight of it presently ; but running along 
the shore for fear of losing her, I met her 
gravely walking to meet me ; and then had 
entirely lost sight of the boat upon the lake. 
This, says she, accosting me with a smile, 
is my way of sailing, which I perceive, by 
the fright you were in, you are altogether 


112 


ADVENTURES OF 


unacquainted with ; and as you tell me 
you came from so many thousand miles olF, 
it is impossible you a ay be made ditferent- 
ly from me : but, surely, we are the part 
of creation which has had more care be- 
stowed upon it ; and 1 suspect, from af 
your discourse, to which i have been very 
attentive, it is possible you may no more 
be able to fly than to sail as 1 do. No,, 
charming creature, says I that I cannot, 
I’ll assure you. She then stepping to the 
edge of the lake, for the advantage of a de- 
scent before her, sprung up into the air, 
and away -she went, farther than my eyes 
could follow her. 

I was quite astonished. So, says I then, 
all is over ! all a delusion which I have so 
long been in ! * a mere phantom ! Better 
had it been to me never to have seen her, 
than thus to lose her again ! But what 
could I expect had she staid ? For it is plain 
she is no human composition. But, says I, 
she felt like flesh, too, when 1 lifted her out 
at the door ! I had but very little time for 
reflection ; for, in about ten minutes after 
she had left me in this mixture of grief and 
amazemenl, she alighted just by me on her 
feet. 

Her return, as she plainly saw, filled me 
with a transport not to be concealed ; and 
which, as she afterwards told me, was very 
agreeable to her. Indeed, I was some mo- 


PETER WILKINS. 


113 


meats in such an agitation ofmindfromthese 
unparalleled incidents, that I was like one 
thunder-struck; but coming presently to my- 
self, and clasping her in my arms with as 
much love and passion as I was capable of 
expressing, and for the first time with any de- 
sire, Are you returned again, kind angel, 
said I, to bless a wretch who can only be 
happy in adoring you! Can it be that 
you, who have so many advantages over 
me, should quit all the pleasures that 
nature has formed you for, and all 
your friends and relations to take an 
asylum in my arms ? But I here make you 
a tender of all I am able to bestow — my love 
and constancy. Come, come, .ays she, no 
more raptures; I find you arc a worthier 
man than I thought I had reason to take 
you for, and I beg your pardon for my dis- 
trust, whilst I was ignorant of your imper- 
fections ; but now I verily believe all you 
have said is true ; and 1 promise you, as 
you have seemed so much to delight in me, 
I will never quit you till death, or other as 
fatal accident shall part us: But we will 
now, if you choose, go home; for I know 
you have been some time uneasy in this 
gloom, though agreeable to me : for giving 
my eyes the pleasure of looking eager- 
ly on you, it conceals my blushes from your 
sight. 

In this manner, exchanging mutual en- 


114 


ADVENTURES OP 


dearments and soft speeches, hand in hand, 
we arrived at the grotto, where we that 
night consummated our nuptials, without 
farther ceremony than mutual solemn en- 
gagements to each other, which are, in 
truth, the essence of marriage, and all that 
w'as there and then in our power. 


Note. — For the explanation of the terms 
Glummj Crashecj and other similar ones 
which recur in the course of the narrative, 
the reader is referred to the glossary at the 
end of the volume, — Ed, 


PETER WILKIN'S. 


115 


CHAPTER XIII. 


Youwarkee and I having no other com- 
pany than one another’s, we walked together 
almost from morn till night, in order to 
learn each other’s dialect. But how com- 
pliable soever, she was in all other respects, 
I could not persuade her to go out with me 
to fetch water, or to the lake in the day 
: time. It being now the light season, I wan- 
1 ted her to be more abroad; but she ex- 
■ cused herself, telling me her people never 
j came into these luminous parts of the coun- 
I try during the false glare as they called it, 

I hut kept altogether at home, where their 
light was more moderate and steadier; and 
1 that the place where I resided was not fre- 
I quented by them for half the year and other 
times only upon parties of pleasure, it no! 
being worth wiiile to settle habitations 
where they could not abide always. She 
saidjNormnbdsgrsutt was the finest region 
in the world, where her king’s court was, 
and a vast kingdom. I asked her twice or 
tiirice more to name the country to me, but 
not all the art we could use, hers in dicta- 
ting, and mine in endeavoring to pronounce 
it, would render me conqueror of that her 
monosyllable, (for as such it sounded from 


116 


ADVENTURES OF 


her sweet lips;) so I relinquished the name 
to her telling her whenever she had any more 
occasion to mention the place, I desired it 
might be under the style of Doorpt Swon- 
geanti, which she promised; but wondered, 
as she could speak the other so glibly, as 
she called it, I could not do so too. 

I told her, that the light of my native coun- 
try was far stronger than any I had seen 
since my arrival at graundevolet, (for that, I 
found by her, was the name my dominions 
went by;) and that we had a sun, or a ball 
of fire which rolled over our heads every 
day with such a light and such a heat, that 
it wouW sometimes almost scorch one it was 
so hot, and was of such brightness that the 
^ eye could not look at it without danger of 
blindness. She was heartily glad, she said, 
she was not born in so wretched a land; and 
did not believe there was any other so good 
as her own. I thought no benefit could 
arise from my combatting these innocent 
prejudices, so I let them alone. 

She had often lamented to me the differ- 
ence of our eyesight, and the trouble it was 
to her that she could not at all times go 
about with me, till it gave me a good 
deal of uneasiness to see her concern. — 
At last I told her, that though I believed it 
would be impossible to reduce my sight to 
the standard of hers, yet I was persuaded I 
could bring hers, to bear the strongest 


PETER WILKINS. 


117 


light I had ever seen in this country. She 
was mightily pleased with the thought of 
thatj and said she wished I might, for she 
was sensible of no grief like being obliged 
to stay at home when I went abroad on my 
business and was resolved to try my exper- 
iment if I pleased, and in the mean time 
should heartily pray for the success. I hit 
on the following invention, 

I rummaged over all my old things, and 
by good luck found an old crape hatband. 
With this crape, some felt and some pieces 
of the rind of the ram’s-horn fruit, I con- 
trived to form a pair of spectacles which 
enabled my wife to bear the strongest light 
of the country. 


118 


ADVENTURES OP 


CHAPTER XIV. 


The next summer brought me a yacom 
as fair as alabaster. My wife was deliver- 
ed without the usual assistance, and had as 
favorable a labor as could be. When 
Yeuwarkee had gathered strength again, 
she proved an excellent nurse to my Pedro, 
(for that was the name 1 give him) so that 
he soon grew a charming child, able to go 
in his twelvemonth, and speak in his twen- 
tieth. This and two other lovely boys I 
had by her in three years ; every one of 
which she brought up with the breast, and 
they thrived delicately. 

As my boy Pedro grew up, though, he 
had the graundee, yet it was of less dimen - 
sions than it ought to have been to be use- 
ful to him, so that it was visible he could 
scarce meet before, whereas it ought to 
have reached from side to side both ways. 

I turned over my board, but could tiiid 
nothing that would do ; or, at least, that 
we knew how to fit him with. I had de- 
scribed my own country vest for lads to 
Youwarkee, and she formed a tolerable idea 
of it, but wo had no tackle to alter any- 
thing with. O, rny dear, says I, had I but 
been born with the graundee, 1 need not b& 


PETER Wir.KINS. 


ir9 

now raking my brains to get my^ child 
clothes. What do you mean by ^?his ? 
says she. — Why, says I, I would have 
down to my ship, (for I had long before re- 
lated to her all my sea adventures, till the 
vessel’s coming to the magnetical rock) and 
have brought some such things from thence, 
as you, now wanting them in this country, 
can have no notion of. She seemed mighty 
inquisitive to understand how a ship was 
made, but it was most likely to, how a per- 
son who never saw one might know it only 
by the description, and how one might get 
into it ; with abundance of the like ques- 
tions. She then inquired what sort of things 
those needles and several other utensils 
were, which I had at times been speaking 
of; and in what part of a ship they usually 
kept such articles. And I, to gratify her 
curiosity, as I perceived she took a pleas- 
ure in hearing me, answered all her ques- 
tions to a scruple ; not then conceiving the 
secret purpose of all this inquisitiveness. 

About tvvo days after this, having been 
j out two or three hours in the morning, to 
I cut wood, at coming home I found Pedro 
I crying, ready to break his heart, and his lit- 
tle brother Tommy hanging to him, and 
i crawling about the floor after him ; the 
I youngest pretty baby was fast asleep upon 
I one of the beast-fish skins, in a corner of 
the room. I asked Pedro for his mother ,*■ 


120 


ADVENTURES OF 


but the poor infant had nothing further to 
say to the matter, than Mamma run away, 

1 cry ! I admired where she was gone, nev- 
er before missing her from our habitation. 
However, I waited patiently till bed-time, 
but no wife. I grew very uneasy then ; 
yet, as my children were tired and sleepy, 

{ thought I had best go to bed with 
them, and make quiet ; so, giving all 
three their suppers, we lay down to- 
gether. They slept; but my mind was too 
full to permit the close of my eyes. A 
thousand different chimeras swam in my 
imagination relating to my wife. One 
while I fancied her carried away by her 
kinsfollis ; then that, she was gone of her 
own accord to make peace with her father. 
But that thought would not fix, being put 
aside by her constant tenderness to her 
children, and regard to me ; whom I was 
sure she would not have left without notice. 
But alas ! says I, she may even now be 
near me, but taken so ill she cannot get 
home, or she may have died suddenly in 
ihe wood. I lay tumbling and tossing in 
great anxiety, not able to find out any ex- 
cusable occasion she could have of so long 
absence. And then, thinks I, if she should 
either be dead, or have quite left me, 
which will be of equally bad consequence 
to me, what can I do with three poor help- 
less infants ? If they w' 


PETER WILKIKS. 



grown up, they might be helpful to me, and 
to each other; but at their age, how shall 
I ever rear them without the tenderness of 
a mother? And to see them pine away be-^ 
fore my face, and not know how to help 
them will distract me. 

Finding I could neither sleep nor lie still, 
I rose, intending to search all the w'oods 
about and call to her, that if any accident 
had prevented sight of her, she might at 
least hear me. But upon opening the door, 
and just stepping out, how agreeably was I 
surprised to meet her coming in, with some- 
thing on her arm. My dear YoUwarkee, 
says I, Where have you been? What has be- 
fallen you to keep you out so long? The 
poor children have been at their wits end 
to find you, and I, my dear, have been in- 
consolable, and was now, almost distracted, 
coming in search of you. Youwaikee look- 
ed very blank, to think what concern she 
had given me and the children. My dear- 
est Peter, says she, kissing me, pray for- 
give me the only thing I have ever done 
to offend you, and the last cause you shall 
ever have, by my good Will, to complain 
of me; but walk within doors, and I will 
give you a farther account of my absence. 
Don’t you remember what deliglit I took 
the other day to hear you talk of your 
ship. Yes, says I, you did so; but what of 
that? — ‘Nay, pray, says she, forgive me, 


ADVENTURES OP 


m 

for I have been to see it. That’s impossi- 
ble, says I ; and truly this was the first time 
I ever thought she went about to deceive 
me. I do assure you, says she, I have ; and 
a wonderful thing it is! But if you distrust 
me, and what I say, I have brought proof 
of it; step out with me to the verge of the 
wood, and satisfy yourself. But pray, says 
I, who presented you with this upon your 
arm? I vow, says she, 1 had forgot this; 
yes, this will, I believe, confirm to you what 
I have said. I turned it over and over ; 
and looking wistfully upon her, says I, this 
waistcoat, indeed, is the very fellow to one 
that lay in the captain’s locker in the cab- 
in. Say not the very fellow, says she, but 
rather say the very same, for I’ll assure 
you it is so; and had you been with me, 
we might have got so many things for our- 
selves and the children, we should never 
have wanted more, though we had lived 
these hundred years; but as it is, I have 
left something without the wood for you to 
bring up. When we had our talk out, she, 
hearing the children stir, took them up, and 
was going, as she always did, to get their 
breakfasts. Hold, says I, this journey must 
have fatigued you too much already, lay 
yourself to rest, and leave every thing else 
to me. My deer, says she, you seem to 
think this flight tiresome, but you are mis- 
taken; 1 am more weary with walking to 


PETER WILKLNS. 


m 

the lake and back again, than with all the 
rest. Oh; says she, if you had but tlie 
graundee, flying w'ould rest you, after the 
greatest labor ; for the parts which are 
moved with exercise on the earth, are all 
at rest in fiigiit; as on the contrary, the 
parts used in flight are when on earthly 
travel. The whole trouble in flight is in 
mounting from the plain ground ; but when 
once you are upon the graundee, at a pro- 
per height, all the rest is play, a mere tri- 
fle; you need only think of your way, and 
incline to it, your graundee directs you as 
readily as your feet obey you on the ground, 
without thinking of every step you take; it 
does not require labor, as your boat does, to 
keep you a going. 

After we had composed ourselves, we 
walked to the verge of the wof^d, to see 
what cargo my wufe had brought from the 
sliip. I was astonished at the bulk of it; 
and seeing, by the outside, it consisted of 
clothes, I took it with mucli ado upon my 
shoulders, and carried it borne. Jiut upon 
opening it, I found far more treasure than 
I could have imagined; for there was a 
hammer, a great many spikes and nails, 
three spoons, about five plates of pewter, 
four knives and a fork, a small china punch 
bowl, two chocolate cups, a paper of nee- 
dles, and several of pins, a parcel of coarse 
thread, a pair of shoes, and abundance of 


ADVENTURES OP 


{^4 

such other things as she had heard me 
Vvish for and describe; besides as much lin- 
en and woolen of one sort or other, as 
made a good package for all the other 
things; with a great tin porridge-pot, of 
about two gallons, tied to the out side; and 
ail these as nicely stowed as if she had 
been bred a packer. 

When I had viewed the bundle, and pois- 
ed the weight, how was it possible, my dear 
Vouwarkee, said I, for you to bring all this? 
Vou could never carry them in your hands. 
No, no, replied she, I carried them on my 
back. Is it possible, says I, for your graun- 
dee to bear yourself and all this w’eight loo 
in the air, and to such an height as the top 
of these rocks? You will always, replies 
she, make the height a part of the diffi- 
culty in flying; but you are deceived, for 
as tiie first stroke (I have heard you say 
often) in fighting is half the battle, so it is 
in flying; get but once fairly on the wind, 
nothing can hurt you afterward. My me- 
thod, let me tell you, was this; I climbed 
to the highest part of the ship, where I 
could stand clear, having first put up my 
burthen, which you have there; and then 
wetting that on my back near my shoulders, 
I took the two cords you see hang loose to 
it in my two hands, and, extending my 
graundee, leaped off flatwise with my face 
towards the water; when instantly playing 


PETER WILKINS. 


125 


two or three good strokes with my graim- 
dee, I was out of danger ; now, it I had 
found the bundle too heavy to make my tirst 
strokes with, I should directly have turned 
on my back, dropped my bundle, and floated 
in my graundee to the ship again, as you 
once saw me float on the lake. Says I, 
you must have flown a prodigious distance to 
the lake, for I was several days sailing, 
I believe three weeks, from my ship, before 
I reached the gulph ; and after that could be 
little less than five weeks (as I accounted 
for it,) and at a great rate of sailing too 
under the rock, before 1 reached the lake ; 
so that the ship must be a monstrous .way 
off. jVo, no, says she, your ship lies but 
over yon cliff, that rises as it were with 
two points ; and as to the rock itself, it is 
not broader than our lake is long ; but what 
made you so tedious in your passage was, 
many of the windings and turnings in the 
cavern returning into themselves again ; so 
that you might have gone round and round 
till this time, if the tide had not luckily 
struck you into the direct passage ; this, 
says she, I have heard from some of my 
countrymen, who have flown up it, but 
could never get quite through. 

I wish with all my heart, says I, fortune 
had brought me first to light in this coun- 
try ; or (but for your sake I could almost 
say) had never brought nie into it at all ; for 


125 


ADVE.XTUnES OP 


to be a creature of the least significancy, 
of the whole race but one, is a melancholy 
circumstance. Fear not, says she, my love, 
for you have a wife that will hazard all for 
you, though you are restrained ; and as my 
inclinations and affections are so much you rs, 
that I need but know your desires to exe- 
cute them as far as my posver extends, sure- 
ly you, who can act by another, may be con- 
tent to forego the trouble of your own per- 
formance. I perceived, indeed, continued 
she, you want mightily to go to your ship, 
and are more uneasy now you know it is 
safe, than you was before ; but that being 
past my skill to assist you in,ifyou will com- 
mand your deputy to go backwards and for- 
wards in your stead, I am ready to obey you. 

Thus ended our conversation about the 
ship for that time. But it left not my mind 
so soon ; for a stronger hankering after it 
pursued me now’ than ever since my wife’s 
flight, but to no purpose. 

We sat us down, and sorted out our car- 
go, piece by piece ; and having found sev- 
eral things proper for the children, my wife 
longed to enter upon some piece of work 
towards clothing Pedro in the manner she 
had heard me talk of, and laid hard at me 
to show’ her the use of the needles, thread, 
and other things she had brought. Indeed, 
I must say she proved very tractible ; and 
from the little instruction I was able to give 


PETER WILKINS. 


12t 

her, soon outwrought my knowledge ; for I 
could only show her that the thread went 
through the needle, and both througli the 
cloth to hold it together ; but for any thing 
else I was as ignorant as slfe. In much less 
time than I could have imagined, slic had 
clothed my son Pedro, and had made a sort 
of mantle for the youngest. But now see- 
ing us so smart (for I took upon me .some- 
times to wear the green waistcoat she had 
brought under my dirty jacket) she began 
to be ashamed of herself, as she said, in onr 
fine company ; and afterwards (as I shall 
soon acquaint you) got into our fashion. 

Seeing the advantages of her flight to the 
•ship ; and that so many conveniences arose 
from it, she was frequently at me to let her 
go again. I should as much have wished 
for another return of goods as she, but I 
could by no means think of parting with my 
factor ; for I knew her eagerness to please 
me, and that she would stick at nothing to 
perform it. And, thinks I, should any ac- 
cident happen to her, by over-loading, or 
otherwise, and I should lose her, all the 
other commodities of the whole world put 
together would not compensate her loss. 
But as she so earnestly desired it, and as- 
.sured me she would run no hazards, I was 
prevailed on at length, by her incessant im- 
portunities, to let her go ; though under 
certain restrictions which she promised 


158 


ADVENTURES OF 


me to comply with. At first, I insisted up- 
on it that she should take a tour quite round 
the rock, setting out the same way 1 had 
last gone with iny boat ; and, if possible,^ 
hnd ont the gulph, which I told her she 
could not mistake, by reason of the noise 
ihe fall of the water made ; and desired her 
to remark the place, so as I might know 
w ithin-side where it was without. And then 
I told lier she might review and search eve- 
ry hole in the ship as she pleased ; and if 
there were any small things she had a mind 
to bring from it, she was welcome, provided 
the bundle she would make up was not 
above a fourth part either of the bulk or 
weight of the last, AH which she having 
engaged punctually to observe, she bid mo 
not expect her till I saw her, and she would 
return her as soon as possible. I then went 
with her to the confines of the wood, (for I 
told her I desired to see her mount) and 
she, after we had embraced, bidding me to 
stand behind her, took her flight, 


PETER WILKINS. 


\U9 


CHAPTER XV. 


I HAD ever since our marriage, been de- 
siroiLs of seeing Vouwarkee liy, but this was 
the first opportunity I had of itj and in- 
deed the sight was worthy of all the at- 
tention I paid it; for I desired her slowly 
to put herself in proper order for it, that I 
might make niy observation the more ac- 
curately; and shall now give you an ac- 
count of the whole apparatus, though seve- 
ral parts of the description were taken 
from subsequent views; for it would have 
been impossible to have made just remarks 
of every thing at that once, especially as I 
only viewed her back parts then. 

1 told you before, I had seen her graun- 
dee, open, and quite extended, as low as her 
middle; but thai being in the grotto by 
lamp light, I could not take so just a sur- 
vey as now, when the sort of light we ever 
had was at the brightest. 

She first threw up two long branches or 
ribs of the whale-bone, as 1 called it before, 
(and indeed for several of its properties, as 
toughness, elasticity, and pliableness, noth- 
ing I have ever seen can so justly be com- 
pared to it) which were jointed behind to 
the upper bone of the spine, and which 


ISO 


ADVE.VTaRE3 Of 


when not extended, lie bent over the ohouf-' 
ders on each side of the neck forwards frotii 
whence bj' nearer and nearer approaches, 
they ju?t meet at the lower rim of the belly 
in a sort of point; but when extended, tiiey 
stand their whole length above the shoul- 
ders, not perpendicularly, but spreading 
outwards, with a web of the softest and 
most pliable and springy membrane that can 
be imagined, in the interstice betw'een them, 
reaching from their root or joint on the 
back up above the hinder part of the head, 
and near halfway their own length; but 
when closed the membrane falls down in 
the middle upon the neck, like an handker- 
chief. There are also two other ribs ris- 
ing as it were from the same root, which, 
when open, run horizontally, but not so long 
xs the others. These are filled up in the 
interstice between them and the upper ones 
with the same membrane; and on the lower 
side of this is also a deep flag of the mem- 
brane, so that the arms can be either above 
or below it in flight, and are alwa}'s above it 
when closed. This last rib, when shut, flaps 
under the upper one, and also falls down 
with it before the waist, but is not joined 
to the ribs below, x\.long the whole spine- 
bone runs a strong, flat, broad, gristly car- 
tilage to which are joined several other of 
these ribs ; all which open horizontally, 
and are filled up in the interstices with the 


PETER WILKTNS. 


131 


s.bove membrn;r ', and are jointed to the ribs 
of t!ie person just w'lerc the plane of the 
back begins to tarn towards the breast and 
belly; and, when shut, wrap the body round 
to the joints on the contrary side, folding 
neatly one side over die other. At the low- 
er spine are two more ribs, e;.tended hori- 
zontally when open, jointed again to the 
hips, and long enough to meet the joint on 
the contrary side cross the belly ; and frona 
the hip-joint, which is on the outermost 
edge of the hip-bone, runs a pliable carti- 
lage quite down the outside of the thigh 
and leg to the ancle ; from wliich there 
branch out diverse other ribs horizontally 
also whpn open, hut when closed, they en- 
compass the whole thigh and leg, rolling 
inwards cros.s the back of the leg and thigh, 
till they reach and just cover the cartilage 
The interstices of these are also filled up 
with the same membrane. From the two 
ribs which join to the luvver spine-bone., 
there hangs down a sort of short apron, very 
full of plait.s, from hip-joint to hip-joint, and 
reaches below tlie buttocks, half way or 
more to the barns. This has also several 
smaller ribs in it. Just upon the lower 
spine-joint, and above the apron, as I call it, 
there are two or three long branches, which, 
when close, extend upon the back from the 
point they join at below from the shoulders, 
where each rib has a clasper, which reach- 


132 


ADTENTUUES OF 


ing over the shoulders, just under the fold 
of the uppermost brunch or ribs, hold u[) 
the two ribs flat to the back like a V, the 
interstices of which are also filled up with 
the aforesaid membrane. This last piece, 
in flight, falls down almost to the ancles, 
where the two claspors clapping under each 
leg within-side, hold it very fast; and then 
also the short apron is drawn up, by the 
strength of the ribs in it, between the thighs 
forward, and covers as far as the rim of the 
belly. The whole arms are covered also 
from the shoulders to the wrist with the 
same delicate membrane, fastened to ribs 
of proportionable dimensions, and jointed to 
a cartilage on the outside in the same man- 
ner as on the legs. 

It, is very surprising to feel the diflcrcnce 
of these ribs when open and when closed ; 
for closed, they are as pliable as the finest 
whalebone, or more .so, but when extended, 
are as strong and stiff as a bone. They 
are tapering frointhe roots, and are broader 
or narrower, as best suits the places they oc- 
cupy, and the stress they are put to, up to 
their points, -which are almost as small as a 
hair. The membrane between them is the 
most elastic thing, I ever met with, occupy- 
ing no more space, when the ribs are clos- 
ed than just from rib to rib, as flat and 
smooth as possible ; hut when extended in 
some postures, will dilateitself surprisingly. 


PETER WILKLVS, 


133 


This wil! be better comprehended by the 
plates, where you will see several glumms 
and gawreys in diH'ercnt attitudes, than ex- 
pressed by words.* 

As soon as my wife had expanded the 
whole graundee, being upon plain ground, 
she stooped forward, moving with a heavy 
wi iggling motion at first, which put me into 
vsome pain for her ; but after a few strokes, 
beginnino; to rise a little, she cut through 
the air like lightning, and was soon over 
the edge of the rock, and out of my sight. 

It is the most amazing thing in the world 
to observe the large expansion of this graun- 
dee, when open ; and, when closed, (as it 
all is in a moment upon the party’s de- 
.scent) to see it sit so close and compact to 
the body, as no tailor can come up to it ; 
and then the several ribs lie so justly dis- 
posed in the several parts, that instead of 
being, as one would imagine, a disadvantage 
to the shape, they make the body and 
limbs look extremely elegant ; and by the 
different adjustment of their lines on the 
body and limbs, the whole, to my fancy, 
somewhat resembles the dress of the old 
Roman warriors in their buskins ; and, to 
appearance, seems much more noble than 


* We have thought it proper to retain the words of the 
original editi.m although the plan of the present work ex- 
cludes many plates. 


ADVENTURES OF 


IS4 

any ftctitious garb I ever sa\T, or can franne 
a notion of to myself. 

Though these people, in height, shape, 
and limb, very much resemble the Euro- 
peans, there is yet this difference, that, 
their bodies are rather broader and flatter, 
and their limbs, though as long and well 
shaped, are seldom so thick as ours : And 
this I observed generally in all I saw of 
them during a long time among them after- 
wards ; but their skin, for beauty and fair- 
ness, exceeds ours very much. 

My wife having now taken her second 
flight, I went home, and never left my ciiil- 
dren till her return : this was three days 
after our parting. I was in bed with my 
little ones when she knocked at the door. 
I soon let her in, and we received each 
other with a glowing welcome. The news 
she brought me was very agreeable. She 
told me she first went and pried into every 
nook in the ship, where she had seen such 
things, could we get at them, as would make 
us very happy. Then she set out the way 
I told her to go, in order to find the gulj)h. 
She was much afraid she should not have 
discovered it, though she flew very slow, 
that she might be sure to hear the water- 
fall, and not overshoot it. It was long ere 
she came at it ; but when she did, she per- 
ceived she might have spared most of her 
trouble, had she set out the other way ; for, 


PETER WILKINS. 


IS& 

after siiu had flown ahnost round the island, 
and not before, she began to hear the fall, 
and upon coming up to it, found it to be 
not above six minutes’ flight from the ship. 
She said thc^ entrance was very narrow, 
and she thought, lower than^I represented 
it ; for she could scarce discern any space 
between the surface of the water and the 
arch- way of the rock. I told her that might 
happen from the ri.se or fall of the sea it- 
self. But I was glad to hear the ship was 
no farther from the gulph ; for my head 
was never free from the thoughts of my 
ship and cargo. She then told me she had 
left a small bundle for me w’itliout the wood, 
and went to look after her children. 1 
brought up the bundle ; and though it 
was not near so large as the other, I found 
several useful things in it, wrapped up in 
four or five yards of dark blue woollen cloth, 
which I knew no name for, but wdiich was 
thin and light, and about a yard wnde. I 
asked her wdiere she met with this stufi"” : 
she answered, where there w’as more of it, 
under a thing like our bed, in a cloth like 
our sheet, which she cut open, and took it 
out of. Well, says I, and what will you do 
with this r Why, I will make me a coat, 
like yours, says she, for I don’t like to look 
different from my dear husband and chil- 
dren. No, Youwarkee, replied I, you mu.st 
not do so ! if you make such a jacket as 


136 


ADVENTUUES OF 


mine, there will be no distinction between 
glumrn and gawrey ; the gowren praave, in 
my country would not on any account gc. 
dressed like aglumiii ; for they wear athio 
flowing garment, called a gown, that sits 
tight about the waist, and hangs down froni 
thence in folds, like your barras, ahnosl to 
the ground, so that you can hardly discern 
their feet, and no other part of their body 
but their hands and face, and about as. nmeh 
of their necks and breasts as you see in 
your graundee. 

Youwarkee seemed highly delighted with 
this ncw-fancied dress, and worked day aiici 
night at it against the cold weather. Whilst 
she employed herself thus, I was busied in 
providing my winter stores, which I w'as 
forced to do all alone now, herself and chil- 
dren taking up all my wife’s time. About 
a fortnight after she had begun mantua- 
makiiig, she presented herself to me one 
day as I came from work in her new gown: 
and, truly, considering the scanty descrip- 
tion I had given her of such a garment, it 
appeared a good comely dress. I'hough it 
had not one plait about the body, it sat very 
tight thereto, and yet hung dowii fallenougii 
for a countess ; for she would have put it 
all in (all the stulf she had) had there been 
as much more of it. I could see no open- 
ing before, so asked her how she got it orn 
She told, me she had laid along on the 


PETEH WIEKINS. 


137 


ground, and crept through the plaits at the 
bottom, and sewed the body round her af- 
ter she had got her hands and arms through 
the sleeves. I wondered at her contriv- 
ance; and smiling, showed her how she 
should put it on, and also how to pin it be- 
fore; and after she had done that, and I 
had turned up about half a yard of sleeve, 
which then hung down to her fingers ends, 
I kissed her, and called her my country- 
woman ; of which, and her new gown, she 
was very proud for a long time. 


I 


I 

I CHAPTER XIII. 


I HAD now lived here almost fourteen 
years, and besides the three sons before 
mentioned, had three girls and one boy. — 
i Pedro, my eldest, had the graundee, but too 
I small to be useful ; my second son Tommy 
had it complete, so had my three daugh- 
I ters, but Jemmy and David, the youngest 
I sons, none at all. My eldest daughter 1 
I named Patty, hecanse I always fancied that 


138 


ADVENTURES OF 


name as it was the name of a young lad/ 
in England for whom I had entertained a 
very great regard in my younger days.— ’ 
My second daughter my wife desired might 
be called by her sister’s name Hallycarnie; 
and my youngest I named Sarah, after my 
mother. I put you to the trouble of writing 
down the ‘names, for as I shall here- 
alter have frequent occasion to mention 
the children severally, it will be pleasant- 
er for myself and you to call them by their 
several names of distinction, than to call 
them my second son, or my eldest daugh- 
ter, and so forth. 

My wife now took great delight in exer- 
cising Tommy and Patty (who were big 
enough to be trusted) in flight, and would 
often skim round the whole island with 
them before I could walk half through the 
wood. And she would teach them also to 
swim or sail, I knew not which to call it, 
for sometimes you would see them dart 
out of the air as if they would fall on their 
faces into the lake, when coming near the 
surface they would stretch their legs in a 
horizontal posture, and in an instant turn on 
their backs and then you could see noth- 
ing from the bank, to all appearance, but a 
boat sailing along, the graundee rising at 
their head, feet, and sides, so like the sides 
and ends of a boat, that you could not dis- 
cern the face or any part of the body I own 


PETER WILKINS. 


159 


i otten envied them this exercise, which 
they seemed to perform with more ease than 
I could only shake my leg or stir an arm. 

Though we had perpetually sweangeans 
about us, and the voices, as I used to call 
them, I could never once prevail on my 
wife to show Iierseli’, or to claim any ac- 
quaintance with her country folks. And 
what is very remarkable in my children is, 
that iny three daughters and Tommy, who 
I had the full graundee, had exactly their 
1 ujother’s sight, Jimmy and David had just 
my sigiit, and Pedro’s sight was between 
both, though he was never much effected 
i with any light ; but 1 was obliged to make 
! spectacles for Tommy and all my daugh- 
ters w’hen they came to go abroad. 

At tills period Youwarkee proposed to 
visit her father’s country, to which propo- 
sal having had such full experience of her 
tenderness and fidelity, I iiiade no objection, 
and accordingly she set off accoinpanied by 
Tommy, Patty, and Hallycarnie. 

During her absence I employed myself in 
instructing my other children and my usual 
routine of employment. 1 w’as reflecting 
with some uneasiness on the length of time, 
since 1 had been separated from my wife 
! and the helpless condition my remaining 
children would be left in if she should never 
return, and endeavoring to solace myself by 
committing them to fhe cure of Providence. 


140 


ADVENTURES OF 


One day I was sitting by myself in my 
tent upon one of the trees I had turned into 
benches, when I heard a musical voice call, 
j Peter ! Peter! I started. What’s this? says 
1 1. It is not Youwarkee’s voice ! What can 
this mean! Listening, 1 heard it again, but 
at so great a distance I could but just per- 
ceive the sound. Be it where it will, says 
I, I will face it! Thus speaking, I went out 
of the tent, and hearkening very attentive • 
ly, but could hear nothing. I then ran 
for my gun, and walked through the wood 
as fast as I could to the plain ; but still I 
neither saw nor heard any thing. I was 
then in hopes of seeing somebody on the 
lake but no one appeared ; for 1 was ful- 
ly determined to make myself known to 
whomsoever I should meet ; and, if possi- 
ble, to gain some intelligence of my wife. — 
But after so much fruitless pains, my hopes 
being at an end, I was returning, when I 
heard, Peter ! Peter ! again at a great dis- 
tance, the sound coming from a different 
quarter, than at first. Upon this I stopped, 
and heard it repeated; and it was as if the 
speaker approached nearer and nearer. — 
Hereupon I stepped out of the wood, (for I 
had just re-entered it upon my return 
home) when I saw two persons upon the 
swangean just over my head. 1 cried out, 
Who’s that? And they immediately called 
again, Peter! Peter !— ciom gv'c, say? I* 


PETER WILKINS. 


141 


that is, here am L On this they directly 
took a small sweep rounds (for they had 
overshot me before they heard me) and 
alighted just by me ; when I perceived 
them to be my wife’s countrymen, being 
dressed like her, with only broader chap- 
lets about their heads, as she had told me 
the glumms all wore. After a short obei- 
sance, they asked me if I was the glumm 
Peter, barkatt to Youwarkee. I answer- 
ed ; I was. They then told me they came 
with a message from Pendlehamby, colamb 
of Arndrumnstake, my goppa, and from. 
Youwarkee his daughter. I was vastly re- 
joiced to see them, and to hear only the 
name of my wife. But though I longed to 
know their message, I trembled to think of 
their mentioning it, as one of them was just 
going to do, for fear of hearing something 
very displeasing ; so I begged them to go 
through the wood with me to the grotto, 
where we should have more leisure and 
convenience for talk, and where, at the 
same time, they might take some refresh- 
ment. But though I had thus put off their 
message, I could not forbear inquiring by 
the way after the health of my goppa, and 
my wife and children, how they got to 
Arndrumnstake, and how they found their re- 
lations and friends. They told me all were 
well ; and that Youwarkee, as she did on 
me, desired 1 would think on her with true 


142 


ADVENTURES OF 


affection. I found this was the phrase of 
the country. As for the rest, I hoped it 
would turn out well at last, though I dread- 
ed to hear it. 

Being arrived at the grotto, I desired my 
guests to sit down and take such refresh- 
ments as I could prepare them. When they 
were seated, I went to work in order to pro- 
vide them a repast. Seeing my tire piled 
up very high and burning fierce, and the 
children about it, they wondered where 
they had got, and who they had come to, 
and turned their faces from it ; but I set- 
ting some chairs, so that the light might 
not strike on their eyes, they liked the 
warmth well enough ; though, I remarked, 
the light did not affect them so much as it 
had done Youwarkee. 

Whilst I was cooking, the poor children 
got all up in a corner, and stared at the 
strangers, not being able to conceive where 
they came from ; and by degrees crept all 
backwards into the bed-chamber, and hid 
themselves ; for they had never before seen 
any body but my own family. 

I observed that one of my guests paid 
more than ordinary respect to the other 5 
and though tlieir graundees made no dis- 
tinction betv' cen them, yet there was some- 
thing I thought much more noble in the ad- 
dress and behaviour of the latter: and taking 
notice that he was also the chief spokes- 


PETEIL WILKINS. 


143 


man, I judged it proper to pay my respects 
to him in a somewliat more distinguishing 
manner, thougli so as not to offend the oth- 
er if I should happen to be mistaken. 

I first presented a cann of my Madeira, 
and took care, as if by accident, to give it 
to Mr. Uppermost, as I thought him, who 
drank half of it, and would have given the 
remainder to his companion, but 1 begged 
him to drink it all up, and his friend should 
’{ be served with some presently : he did so, 
and thanked me by lifting his hand to his 
i chin. I then gave the other a cann of the 
same liquor, wliich he drank, and returned 
^ thanks as his companion had before. I then 
! look a cann myself ; and telling them I beg- 
I ged leave to use the ceremony of my own 
^ country to them ; I drank, wishing their own 
; health,and that of all relations at Arndrumn- 
1 stake. He tiiat I took for a superior fell a 
■ laughing heartily : Ha, ha, ha ; says he, 
i this is the very way my sister does every day 
j at Arndrumstake. Your sister, sir ! says I, 
pray has she ever been in Europe or Eng- 
I land ? Well ! says he, I have plainly dis- 
covered myself, which I did not intend to do 
yet ; but, truly, brother Peter, I mean none 
other than your own wife Youwarkee. 

The moment I knew wlio he was, I rose 
up, and taking him by the right hand, lifted 
! it to my lips and kissed it. He likewise 
, iuL'Ucduately stood up, and wc embraced 


144 


adventuhes of 


each other with great tenderness : I then 
begged him, as I had so worthy and near a 
relation of my wife’s with me, that he would 
not delay the happiness I hoped for, in a 
narrative from his mouth, how it fared with 
my father, wife, and children, and all their 
kinsfolks and friends, whom I had so often 
heard mentioned by my dearest Youwarkee, 
and so earnestly desired to see. 

My brother Quangrollart (for that he told 
me was his name) was preparing to gratify 
my impatience ; but seeing I had set the 
entertainment on the table, which consisted 
chiefly of bread, several sorts of pickles and 
preserves, with some cold salted fish, he 
said that eating would hut interrupt the 
thread of his discourse ; and therefore, with 
my leave he would defer the relating of 
what I desired for a little while ; which we 
all thinking most proper, I desired him and 
his friend (who might be another brother 
for ought I knew) to refresh themselves 
with the poor modicum I was able to provide 
them. Whilst my brother Quongrollart 
was looking upon and handling his plate, 
being what he had never before seen, his 
friend had got the handle of one of the 
knives in his mouth, biting it with all his 
force ; but finding he could make nothing of 
that end, he tried the other, and got champ- 
ing the blade . Perceiving what he was at, 
though I could not help laughing, I rose, 


PETER WILKINS. 


145 


and begging pardon, took the knife from 
him; telling him I believed he was not ac- 
quainted with the use of that instrument j 
which was one of my country implementsj 
and that the design of it, which was called 
a knife, and of that other^ (pointing to it) 
called a fork) was the one to I'educe the 
food int-o pieces proper for chewing, and 
the other to convey it to the mouth without 
daubing the fingers, which must happen in 
handling the food itself; and I then showed 
him what use I put them to by helping each 
of them therewith to somewhat, and by cut- 
ting a piece for myself, and putting it to my 
mouth with the fork. 

They both smiled, and looked very well 
[deased, and when 1 told them that the plate 
was the only thing that need be daubed and 
AVhen that was taken away the table remain- 
ed clean. So after 1 had lielped each of 
them for the first time, I told them to help 
themselves where they liked best ; and to 
say tlie truth they did so more dexterously 
than I could have expected. 

During our repast we had many sketch- 
es of the observalions they made in their 
flight, and of the places where they rested, 
and I could plainly perceive that neither of 
them had been at this arkoe before, by 
hinting that if they had not taken such a 
course they had missed ufe. 

I took partic.nh r notice svhic!- nart of my 


AP^^ENTURES op 


I4e 

entertainment they ate most of, in order to 
bring a fresh supply of that when wanted ; 
and I found that though they ate heartily 
of my bread and preserves, and tasted al- 
most every thing else, they never once 
touched the fish; which put me upon de- 
siring I might help them to some. At this 
they looked at each other, which I readily 
knew the meaning of, and excused them- 
selves, and expressing great satisfaction in 
what they had gotten. 1 took, however, 
a piece of fish on my own plate, and eating 
very heartily of it, my brother desired me 
to give him a bit of it; I did so, and took 
care to cut it free from bones as I could, 
and for a greater security cautioning him, in 
case there should be any, to pick them out 
and not swallow them. He no sooner put a 
piece to his mouth, but, Rosig, says he to his 
friend, this is padsi. I thought, indeed, I 
had puzzled my brother when I gave him 
the fish, but by what he said of it, he puz- 
zled me; for I knew not what he meant by 
padsi, my wife having told me they had no 
fish, or else I should have taken that word 
for their name of it. However, 1 cut R,o-» 
sig a slice ; and he agreeing it was padsi, 
they both eat heartily of it. 

While we were at dinner, my brother told 
me he thought he saw some of my children 
just now; for his sister had informed him 
she had five more at home; and asked 


PETER WILKINS. 


147 


rre why they did not appear and eat with 
us. I excused their coming, fearing they 
would only be troublesome ; and said, when 
we had done they should have some meat. 
But he would not be put off, and entreated 
me to admit them. So I called them by 
their names, and they came, all but Dicky, 
who was asleep in his hammock. I told 
them that the gentleman, pointing to Quan- 
grollart, was their uncle, their mother’s 
brother, and ordered them to pay their obei- 
sance to him, which they severally did. I 
then made them salute Rosig. This last 
would have had them sit down at table, but 
I positively forbade them, and giving each 
of them something, they carried it to their 
chests and eat it. 

When we had done, the children helped 
me to clear the table, and were retiring out 
of the room ; but then I recalled them and 
desired their uncle to excuse their stay, for 
as he had promised me news of their mam- 
my and her family, it would be the height 
of pleasure to them to hear him. He was 
much pleased with this motion, desiring 
by all means they might be present while 
he told his story. Whereupon I ordered 
them to their chests, while he delivered his 
narrative. 


148 


ADVENTURES Of 


CHAPTER XV. 


Having set on the table some brandy 
and Madeira, and each of us having taken 
one glass, I showed by the attentiveness of 
my aspect and posture, how' desirous I 'was 
lie should proceed to wdiat he had promis- 
ed. Observing this, he went on in the fol- 
lowing manner : brother Peter, says he, my 
sister Youvvarkee, as I don’t doubt you wdll 
he glad to hear of her first arrived safely 
at Arndrumnstake, the third day after she 
left you, and after a very severe flight to the 
dear little Hallycarnie, who was a full day 
and a night on her graundee; and at last 
would not have been able to have reached 
Battringdrigg but for rny sister’s assist- 
ance, who taking her sometimes on her 
back for a short flight, by those refresh- 
ments enabled her to perform it; but from 
Battringdrigg, after some hours rest, they 
came to the White Mountains, from whence 
alter a short stay, they arrived at Arn- 
drumnstake. 

They alighted at our coovett, but were 
opposed at their entrance by the guards, to 
whom they did not choose to discover them- 
selves, till notice was given to rny father ; 
•who upon hearing that some strangers de- 


P£TER WILKINS. 


149 


aired admittance to him, sent me to bring 
them if they were proper persons, or else 
give orders for such other reception as was 
suitable to them. 

When I came to the guard I found three 
gawreys and a glumboss, whose appearance 
and behaviour, I must own, prejudiced me 
very much in their favor. I then asked 
from whence they came, and their business 
with the colomb. Youwarkee told me they 
came not about business of public con- 
cern, relating to the colomb’s office, but 
out of a dutiful regard, as relations, to kiss 
his knees. My father, said I, shall know it 
immediately ; but first, pray inform me of 
your name Your father ! replied You- 
warkee ; are you my brother Quangrollart ? 
my name is so, says I, but I have only one 
sister, now with my father, and how I can 
be your brother I am unable to guess. — 
Have you never had another sister } says 
she. Yes, says I, but she is long since 
dead ; her name was Youwarkee. At my 
mentioning her name, she fell on my neck 
in tears, crying, my dear brother, I am that 
dear sister Youwarkee, and those with me 
are some of my children, for I have five 
more ; but pray, how does my father and 
sister ? I started back at this declaration, 
to view her and the children, fearing it was 
sonie gross imposition, not the least know- 
ing or remembering any thing of her face. 


150 


ADVENTURES OF 


after so long an absence ; but I desired 
them to walk in till I told my father. 

The guard observing the several passa- 
ges between us, were amazed to think who 
it could be had so familiarly embraced me, 
especially as they saw I only played a pas- 
sive part. 

When I went in, I did not think proper 
directly to inform my father what had hap- 
pened ; but calling my sister Hallycarnie, 
I let her into the circumstances of this odd 
affair, and desired her advice what to do ; 
for, says I, surely this must be some impos- 
tor ; and as my father has scarce subdued 
his sorrow for his sister’s loss, if this gaw- 
rey should prove a deceiver, it will only re- 
vive his affliction, and may prove at this 
time extremely dangerous to him ; there- 
fore let us consider what had best be done 
in the matter. 

Hallycarnie, who had attentively weigh- 
ed all I had said, seemed to think it was 
some cheat, as well as I did ; for we could 
neither of us conceive that any thing but 
death, or being slit, could have kept You- 
waikee so long from the knowledge of her 
relations ; and that neither of them could 
be the case was plain, if this person was 
Youwarkee. Besides, says Hallycarnie, 
she cannot surely be so much altered in 
fifteen years, but you must have known 
her ; and yet, now I think, it is possible, 


PETER WILKINS. 


1.51 


you being so much younger may have for- 
gotten her ; whilst we have been talking of 
her, I have so well recollected her, that 
I think I could hardly be imposed upon by 
any deceiver^ 

I then desired her to go with me to the 
strangers, and see if she could make any 
discovery. She did so, and had no sooner 
entered the febbj but Youwarkee called out, 
My dear sister Hallycarnie ! and she as 
readily recollecting Youwarkee, they in 
transport embraced each other ; and then 
yoUr wife presenting to us her three chil- 
dren, it proved the tenderest scene, except 
the following, I ever saw. 

My father having kept his chamber for 
some time with a fever, and though he was 
pretty Well recovered, having not yet been 
out of it, we consulted how we might intro- 
duce our sister and children to him with as 
little surprise as might be, for fear of a re- 
lapse by too great a hurry of his spirits. At 
length we concluded I should go tell him 
that some strangers had arrived, desiring to 
see him ; but on inquiry, finding their busi- 
ness was too trifling to trouble him upon, 
I had despatched them ; I was then to say, 
how'like one of them was to my sister You.^ 
warkee ; and whilst I was speaking, Hal- 
lycarnie Was to enter, and keep up the dis- 
course, till we should find a proper op- 
portunity of discovery. I went in, there- 


ADVENTURES OF 


15iJ 

fore, as had been agreed; and upon mention- 
ing the name of Youwarkee, my father 
fetched a deep sigh and turned away from 
rne in tears. At that instant Hallycarnie 
came in as if by accident. Sir, says she, 
what makes you so sad ^ Are you worse to- 
day ^ O, says he, I have heard a name 
that will neyer be out of my heart, till I 
am hoximo. What, I suppose rpy sis- 
ter? — ’Tis true, replied he, it is the same. 
Says she, I fancied so, for I have just seen 
a stranger as like her as two doors could 
be, and would have sworn it was she, if it 
had been possible, I thought my brother 
had been so imprudent as to mention her to 
you ; and I think he did not do well to rip 
up an old sore he knew was almost heal- 
ed, and make it break out afresh. Ah ! no 
child, says my father, that sore never has, 
nor can be healed. 0 Great image ! why 
can’t I, by some means, ascertain to what 
end she came to ! 

Sir, says my sister, I think you are much 
to blame for these exclamations, after so 
long an absence ; for, if she be dead, what 
use are they of ? and if she be not, all may 
be well, and you may still see her again. — 
O never, never, says my father ; but could I 
be sure she was alive, I would take a 
swangean, and never close my graundee, 
till I found her, or dropt dead in the search. 
And suppose you should meet with her, sir, 


PETER WILKINS, 


153 


says I, the very sight would overcome you, 
and be dangerous. — No, believe me, boy, 
says he, 1 should then be lully easy and 
composed; and were she to come in this 
moment, I .shcmld suffer no surprise, but 
pleasure. — No surprise sir, says 1. Not if 
she were alive and well, says he. Ther 
sir, says Hallycarnie, will you excuse me 
if 1 introduce her, and went out directly 
without staying for an answer. 

When she was gone, Quangrollart, says 
my father, sternly, what is the meaning of 
you and your sisier’s playing thus upon 
my weakness? It is what I can upon no 
account forgive. It looks as if you were 
weary of me, and wanted to break my heart. 
To what purpose is all this prelude of yours, 
to introduce to me somebody who, by her 
likeness to my daughter, may expose me to 
your scoff and raillery? This is a disobe- 
dience I never expected from either of you. 

The Great Image attend me ! says I, sir, 
you have itmch nnstaken me; but I will not 
leave you in doubt, even till Hallycar- 
nie’s return. You shall see Youwarkee 
with her; for all our di.scourse. I’ll assure 
you has but been concerted to prepare you 
for her reception, with three of her chil- 
idren. And am I then, say he, in a trans- 
port, still to be blessed? You are, sir, says 
I, assure yourself you are. 

By this time we heard them coming, b'jt 
7* 


154 


ADVENTURES OF 


ray poor futher had not power to go to rneef 
them; &nd upon Youwarkee^s nearer ap- 
proach, to fall at his knees, his limbs failing 
him, he sunk, and without speaking a word, 
fell backwards on a couch, which stood be- 
hind him; and being quite motionless, we 
concluded him to he stone-dead. The 
women became entirely helpless, scream- 
ing only, and wringing their hands in ex- 
travagant postures. But T, having a little 
more presence of mind, called for the cal- 
lentcr ; who, by holding his nose, pinching 
his feet, and otlier applications, in a little 
time brought him to his senses ao-ain. 

You may more easily conceive than I de- 
scribe the confusion we were all in durinij 

O 

my father’s disorder, and the congratula- 
tions upon his recovery; so, as I can give 
but a defective account of these, I shall 
pass them by, and come to our more serious 
discourse, after my father aiid your wife 
had, without speaking a word, wejit them- 
selves quite dry on each other’s necks. 

My father then looking upon the three 
children, (who were also crying to see their 
mammy cry) And who are these ? says he. 
These, sir, says Youwarkee, are three of 
eight of your grand-children. And where 
is your barkatt ? says he. At home with 
the rest, sir, replied she, who are some of 
them too small to come so far; but says 
she, pray excuse my answering you any 


PETER WILKINS. 


155 


more questions, till you are recovered from 
the commotion 1 perceive my presence has 
brought upon your spirits; and as rest, the 
callenter says, will be exceedingly proper, 
I will retire with my sister till you are bet- 
ter able to bear corn[)any. My father was 
with much difficulty prevailed with to part 
with her out of his sight; but the callenter 
pressing it, we were all dismissed, and he 
laid down to rest. 

My brother would have gone on, but I 
told him it grew near time to repose, and 
he and Rosig must needs be fatigued with 
so long a ffight, if they pleased, (I had al- 
ready heard the most valuable part of all he 
could say, in that my father received my 
wife and children so kindly, and that he 
left them all well) we would defer his far- 
ther relation till the next day ; which they 
both agreeing to, I laid them in my bed, 
mvself sleeping in a spare hammock. 

The next day my brother informed me 
that my father Pendlehamby w'ould come to 
visit me with my wife, I then prepared a 
tent for the accommodation of my father and 
his attendants ; but was so little satisfied 
with it, that I almost resolved to burn it. 


156 


ADVENTURES OF 


CHAPTER XVIII 


Quanguollart’s visit lasted several days^ 
during which, I showed him the whole of 
nr.y territory and made him acquainted with 
my manner of life, and received a par- 
ticular account of the manners and cus- 
toms of his own country, which I have 
occasion hereafter to describe to you more 
fully from my own observation. He in- 
formed me, that our Tommy and my 
daughter Hallycarnie were provided for at 
court having been introduced by my father- 
in-law. He then departed with his com- 
panions, bearing many messages of love to 
my wife and children. 

One day I was standing with my son Pe- 
dro at the door of my habitation, when I 
heard a monstrous sort of groan or growl 
in the air like thunder at a distance. What’s 
that, Pedro ? says I. I never heard the 
like before, daddy ! says he. Look, bo\, 
says I, do you see any thing We heard 
it again. Hark ! says Pedro it comes from 
that end of the lake. While we were listen- 
ing to the third sound, says Pedro, Daddy, 
yonder is something black upon the rock, I 
did not see just now. Why it moves, says I, 
Pedro; here is news, good or bad. Hope 


PETER WILKINS. 


157 


the best, daddy, says Pedro ; I wish it may 
be nriainmy. No, savs I, Pedro, I don’t 
expect her before 1 hear from her. Why 
then, says Pedro, here they come ; I can 
discern three of them. If brother Tommy 
should be there, daddy ! No, says I, Pe- 
dro, no such good news ; they tell me Tom- 
my’s provided for, and that’s to suffice for 
the loss of my child : and yet Pedr.o, if 
I could get you settled in England in some 
good employ, I should consent to that : but 
what Tommy’s to be I know not. 

By this time the three persons were so 
near, that seeing us, they called out Peter! 
and I making signs for them to alight, they 
settled just before me, and told me that 
Pendlehamby and Youvvarkee would be with 
me by light next day. 

I had no sooner heard this, but so far 
was I from firing my tent, that I invited them 
to my grotto, set the best cheer before 
them, and with over haste to do more than 
one thing at once, I even left undone what 
I might have done. 

1 asked them who came with my father ; 
they told me about two hundred guards : 
that knocked me up again, as I had but 
prepared for about sixty ; thinks I, my 
scheme is all untwisted. I then asked, 
what noise it was, and if they heard it just 
before I saw them over the rock. They 
told me they heard only the gripsack they 


158 


ADVENTUHES OF 


brought to distinguish them from ordinary 
messengers ; then one of them showed it 
me, for I had before taken it for a long 
staff in his iiand : But, says he, you will 
hear them much louder to-morrow, and long- 
er before they come to you. 

Having entertained them to their content, 
I sent them to rest, not choosing to ask any 
questions ; for I avoided anticipating the 
pleasure of hearing the news from Youwar- 
kee herself. The boys and I prepared what 
provisions of fowl and fish we could in the 
time, to be ready cold against they came, 
and then laid down ourselves. 


CHAPTER XIX. 


My mind run all night upon settling the 
formality with which I should receive Pen- 
dlehamby, that I got little or no rest. In 
the morning I spread my table in as neat a 
manner as I could, and having dressed my- 
self, Pedro, Jemmy and David, we march- 
ed to the plain ; myself carrying a chair, 
and each of them a stool. I was dressed in 
a cinnamon-colored gold-button coat, a red 
waist-coat, velvet breeches, white silk 


PETER WILKLN'S. 


159 


stockings, the campaign-wig flowing, a 
gold laced hat and feather, point cravat, 
silver sword, and over all iny cloak ; as for 
my sons, they had the clothes my wife 
made before she went. 

When we heard them coining, I marshal- 
led the children in the order they w'ere 
to sit, and charged them to do as they saw 
me, but to keep rather a half-pace back- 
warder than me ; and then sitting down in 
my chair, I ordered Pedro to his stool on 
my right hand, and Jemmy to his on the 
left, and David to the left of Jemmy. 

I then sent two of the messengers to 
meet them, with instructions to let Youwar- 
kce know where I waited for them, that 
they might alight at a small distance bo 
fore they came to me. This she having 
communicated to her father, the order ran 
through the whole corps immediately when 
and where to alight. 

It will be impossible for me by words to 
raise your ideas adequate to the grandeur 
of the appearance this body of man made 
coming over the rock ; but as I perceive 
your curiosity is on the stretch to compre- 
hend it, I shall faintly aim at gratifying you. 

After we had heard for some time a sound 
as of distant rumbling thunder, or of a thou- 
sand bears in concert, serenading in their 
hoarsest voices, we could just perceive, by 
the light of dawn, gilding on the edgd ot 


160 


ADVENTURES OF 


the rock, a black stream arise above the 
summit of it, seemingly about forty paces 
broad ; when the noise increasing very 
much, the stream rose broader and broader; 
and then you might perceive rows of 
poles, with here and there a streamer , 
and as soon as ever the main body appeared 
above the rock, there was such a uni- 
versal shout as rent the air, and echoing 
from the opposite rock, returning the sa- 
lute to them again. This was succeeded 
with a rushing sound of voices in song, which 
continued until they came pretty ne-ar me ; 
and then, the first line, consisting of ail the 
trumpets, mounting a considerable height, 
still blowing, left room for the next ranks, 
about twenty abreast to come forward be- 
neath them.^ each of which dividing in the 
middle, alighted in ranks at about twenty 
paces distant from my right and left, mak- 
ing a lane before me, at the fanher end of 
which Pendlehamby and his two daughters 
alighted, with about twenty of his guards 
behind them, the remainder consisting of 
about twenty more, coming forward over 
my head, and alighting behind me ; and 
during this whole ceremony, the gripsacks 
sounded with such a din, it was astonishing. 

Poor Youwarkee, who knew nothing of 
my dress, or of the loss of my beard, was 
thunder-struck when she saw me, not being 
able to observe any visage T had for my 


FETER WILKINS. 


16 J 


great wig and hat ; but putting a good face 
upon the matter and not doubting but if the 
person she saw was not me, she should soon 
find her husband, for she knew the chil- 
dren by their clothes, she came forward at 
her father’s right hand, 1 sitting as great 
as a lord, till they came within about thirty 
paces of me ; and then gravely rising 1 
pulled off my hat and made my obeisance, 
and again at ten steps forwarder ; so that I 
made my third low bow close at the feet of 
Pendlehamby, the children all doing the 
same. I then kneeling, embraced his right 
knee ; who raising me up embraced me, 
Then retiring three steps, and coming for- 
ward again, I embraced Youwarkee some 
time ; during which the children observed 
my pattern with Pendlehamby, who took 
them up and kissed them. 

I whispered Youwarkee to know if any 
more of her relations were in the train to 
whom I ought to pay my complements ; 
she told me her only sister Hallycarnie, 
just behind her father j I then saluted her, 
and stepping forward to the o|d gentle- 
man’s left hand, I ushered him through the 
lines of guards to my chair ; where I caus- 
ed him to sit down with Youwarkee and 
Hallycarnie on each side, and myself on 
the left of Hallycarnie. 

After expressing the great honor done 
p)e by Pendlehainby In this visit; J told him 


162 ADVENTURES Of' 

1 had a little grotto about half a mile thro’^ 
the wood, to which if he pleased to coni-» 
mand, we would retire ; for I had only 
placed that seat to relieve him immediate- 
ly upon his descent. 

Pendlehamby rose, and all the gripsacks 
sounded ; he leading Youwarkee in his 
right-hand and I Hallycarnie in mine. 

At the grotto, my father being seated, 
taking Youwarkee in my hand, we paid our 
obedience to him I would have asked 
his pardon for taking his daughter to wife 
without his leave, and was going on in a 
set speech I had studied for the purpose; 
but he refused to hear me, telling me I 
was mistaken, he had consented. I was re- 
plying I knew he had been so good as to 
pass it over, but that would not excuse — > 
when he again interrupted me, by saying, 
if I approve it and esteem you, what can 
you desire more? so, finding the subject 
ungrateful, I desisted. 

I then gave each of them a silver cann of 
Madeira and Youwarkee retired. I soon 
made an excuse to follow her, to learn if 
she was pleased with what I had done. — 
Says she, my dearest what has come to you? 
I will promise you, but for fear of surpris- 
ing my father, I had disowned you for a 
husband. Dear Youwarkee, says I, do you 
approve my dress, for this is the English 
fashion? This Peter, says she, I perceiv- 
ed attracted all eyes to you, and indeed ia 


FETER WILKINS. 


163 


very showy, and I approve it in regard to 
those who are now to please; but you are not 
to imagine I esteem you more in this than 
your old jacket; for it is Peter I love, in this 
and all things else; but step in again, I shall 
only dress and come to you. 

My wife being dressed in her English 
gow’n, just crossed the room where my fa- 
ther sat, to see Dicky, who was in another 
side-room. I was then sitting by, and talk- 
ing with him. Son, says my father, I un- 
derstood you had no other woman in the ar- 
koe but my daughter ; for surely you have 
no child so tall as that, pointing to my wife. 
No, sir, said I, that is a friend. Is she 
come to you, says he, in my daughter’s ab- 
sence.’ O, sir, says I, she is very well 
known to my Wife. 

Whilst we were talking, in comes You- 
warkee, with the child in her arms, which 
she kept covered to the wrists with her 
gown-sleeve, to hide her graundee ; and 
playing with the child, talking only in Eng- 
lish to it. Is this your youngest son ? says 
my father. I told him yes. Pray, madam, 
says I, bring the child to my father. Mad- 
am, says he, you have a fine baby in your 
arms ; has his mother seen him since she 
came home.^ He spoke in his own tongue, 
and Youwarkee looking at me, as if she did 
not understand him, I interpreted it to her. 
My sister then desired to see the child, but 


164 


ADVENTURES OP 


I was forced again to interpret there too. — 
In short, they both talked with my wife near 
half an hour, but neither of them knew 
her ; till at last, saying in her own lan- 
guage, that is your grand-daddy, my dear 
I)icky ! the old gentleman smoked he 
out. I’ll be slit, says he, if that is not 
Youwarkee! — Its impossible! says Hally- 
carnie. Indeed, sister, says Youwarkee, 
you are mistaken! and my father protesting 
he had not the least suspicion of her, till she 
spoke in his tongue, rose, and kissing her 
and the child, desired her to appear in that 
habit during his stay, 

I asked Pedro what provision had been 
made for the guards; Son, says my father, 
I bring not this number of people to eat 
you up ; they have their subsivstence with 
them; and he would by no moans suffer to 
allow any. I then desired to know if there 
were any officers or others to whom he 
should have shown any particular marks 
of distinction. Son, says the old glurnm, 
you seem to have studied punctilios ; and 
though I should be sorry to incommode you 
for their sakes, if you could procure some 
shelter and sleep-room for about twenty of 
them, who are superiors, ten at a time, 
while the rest are on duty, I should be glad. 
I told him I had purposely erected a tent, 
which would with great ease accommodate 
a greater number ; and as they were of 


PETER WILKINS. 


i6^ 

distinction, with his leave I insisted upon 
providing for them ; to which, with some 
reluctance, I procured liis consent. 

When Pendlehamby was refreshed, he 
would go with me to see the officer’s quar- 
ters ; and showing him my tent, he having 
never seen such a thing before, was going 
to climb up the outside of it, taking it for 
earth. Hold, sir, said I, you cannot do so' 
Then taking him to the front of it, I turn- 
ed aside the blue cloth, and desired him to 
walk in ; at which he seemed wonderfully 
pleased, asked me how it was made. I told 
him in few words as I could ; but he under- 
.stood so little of it, that any thing else I 
had said might have done as well. He 
mightily approved it ; and calling the chief 
officer, he desired he would command nn 
house, and that provision should be supplied 
to his quarters daily ; at which he hesi- 
tating, I assured him 1 had my father’s leav e 
for what I offered! whereupon he stroked 
liis chin. 

I then asked him if he had any clever 
fellows under him to serve them, and dress 
their provisions ; but he hoped, he said, 
they were ready dressed, as his men knew 
little of that matter 1 but for any other 
piece of service, as many as I pleased 
should be at my command. 


166 


ADVENTURES OP 


CHAPTER XX. 


I APPEARED before them, in the morning, 
in my old jacket, and old hat with brims 
indented almost to the crown, a flannel 
nightcap and checkered shirt. How now, 
son ! says my father, what have we here.^ 
Sir, says I , this will show you the use of 
our English fashion 1 mentioned the other 
day, and the necessity of it. You see me 
in this different habit, because my next bu- 
siness requires it; but when I come back 
and have no farther dirty work to do, I shall 
then dress as near as I can, to qualify me 
for your conipany. 

Are you for moving gentlemen ? says my 
brother ; I believe it is time They then 
all rising, we went to the lake where get- 
ting into my boat, and telling them, that any 
six of them might go with me, they never 
having seen such a thing before, and not 
much liking the looks of it, all made ex- 
cuses, till my brother assuring them it was 
very safe, and that he had sailed in it the 
last trip, three or four of them with my 
father, and Hallycarnie, who was very de- 
sirous of seeing u.e fish, got in, and we 
sailed a great way up the lake, taking my 
gun, aj3 usual with me. 


PETER WILKINS. 


167 


It gave me exceeding delight to see the 
whole body of people then in the arkoe on 
the graundee ; some hovering over our 
heads, and talking with us ; others flying 
this way, others that, till 1 had pitched up- 
on a spot to begin my operation ; when 
rowing to shore and quitting my boat, the 
whole body of people settled just by me, 
staring at rne and my net, and wondering 
what I was doing. 1 then taking a sweep 
as usual, got some of the soldiers to assist 
me to the shore with it ; but when the cod 
of the net landed, and the fish begun to 
dash with their tails at the water’s ed^ge, a- 
way run all my soldiers, frightened out of 
their wits to think what was coming : but it 
being a large haul, and a shelving bank, I 
could not lift it to a level myself ; which 
my brother, who had seen the sport before, 
perceiving, though not one of the rest stir- 
red, lent me a hand, and we got it up. 

You cannot imagine what surprise ap- 
peared in every face upon opening the net, 
and seeing all the fish taken ; they drew 
up by degrees closer and closer, for I let 
the fish lie some time for their observation ; 
but seeing the large fish, upon handing 
them, flap their tails, very expeditiously re- 
tired again. I then tossed several of them 
into the boat ; but two of them being 
very large, and rough-scaled ugly fish, 1 
did not think I could lift them myself, so 


1^8 


Ai)ViiNtUftES OP 


desired assistance, but nobody stirred , 1 
expected some of the colambs would have 
ordered their men to have helped me, but 
they were so terrified with seeing me han- 
dle them, that they could not have the con- 
science to order their men on so severe a 
duty, till a Common man came to me, and 
taking the tail, and I the head, we tossed 
them both into the boat. 

I went higher up the lake than usual in 
hopes of a beast fish to show them j but, 
though I could not meet with one, I had 
several very great hauls, and took three or 
four of my lobsters very large ones. This 
was the second trial I had made of my net 
since I had altered it, and it gave me great 
satisfaction, foc^ I could now take as many 
fish at one draught as I could before have 
done at ten. I had found, that though my 
net was very long, yet for the want of a bag, 
or cod, to enclose the fish, many that were 
included within its compass would, whilst I 
drew around, swim to the extremes and so 
get out, for want of some inlet to enter at, 
for which reason I sawed off the top of a 
tree at about ten feet from the ground, and 
drawing a circle of six feet diameter round 
the tree, on the ground, I stuck it round 
with small pegs, at two inches distance; 
then I drove the like number of nails round 
the top of the trunk of the tree, and strai- 
ning a length of rnat-line from each peg on 


PETER WILKINS. 


169 


the ground to a correspondent nail on the 
tree, 1 tied my mat-line in circles round the 
strained lines from top to bottom, about 
two inches distance at the bottom, but at a 
less distance where the strained lines grew 
nearer to each other towards the top ; and 
having secured all the ends, by some line 
twisted round them, I cut a hole in the mid- 
dle of my net, and tied the large ground^end 
over the hole in the net, and gathered the 
small end up in a purse, tying it up tight; 
and by this means I now scarce lost any fish 
which once were within the sweep of my 
net. 

Having had so good success, I had a de- 
sign of returning, but thought as I could 
now so easily entertain a multitude I might 
as well take another haul or too, and make 
a handsome treat for the soldiery; then 
coming up to the rill’s mouth, I fixed my 
implements for a draught there, and begin- 
ning to draw up, I found great resistance 
in the net, and got two or three to help me, 
but coming near shore, when the company 
saw the net tumble and roil, and rise and 
fall, they ail run as if they were mad, till 
I called them and told the Colambs it was 
only one of the fish whose skins I had 
shown them; upon which, by that time I 
had discharged the fish from the net, they 
were all round irie again; but no sooner 
had he got loose, than up he rose, whirled 


17Q ADVENTURES OF 

his wings, and at the same instant uttered 
such a groan that the whole company re- 
treated again, thinking me somewhat more 
than a man, to face so dreadful an enemy. 
I entreated them to come and view it, buC 
finding no arguments could bring them 
nearer, I got hirn between me and the wa- 
ter and shot him dead. 

Upon the report of my gun, the whole 
field was in the air, darting and screaming, 
as I have often seen a flight of rooks do on 
the same occasion ; and I am apt to be- 
lieve spme of tbenj never returned again, 
but went directly home. 

I was a little concerned to see the con- 
fusion I had caused ; and laying down my 
gun, my brother, though at a distance when 
I shot, knowing what I was at, coming up 
to me it put the rest upon their considera- 
tion ; and they alighted one by one, at a 
distance, till they were all on a level once 
more. , 

My father and the colambs, who were 
the first that dared to approach, wondered 
what I had done, and how the fish came to 
be dead, and whence so much fire and 
smoke proceeded, for they were sure 1 
brought none with me, and asked me abun- 
dance of questions ; but as I knew I must 
have occasion for answerjng to the same 
thing twenty times over, had I entered up- 
on an explanation there, I deferred giving 


PETER WILKINS. 


171 


them satisfaction till we came home when 
all at once might be capable of hearing 
what was said. So I told them the most 
necessary thing at present was to stow the 
fish in the boat, for it was the largest I had 
ever taken, and I could not wholly do it 
myself. I made several eff )rts for help, 
but in vain, till the same soldier who had 
helped me with one of the first fish, came 
to my relief, and, desiring my orders what 
to do, assisted me ; and the rest seeing the 
difficulty we both had to manage it, one or 
two more of them came up, and we ship- 
ped it on board. 

I then called the colambs to me, telling 
them I was sorry I had given such a gene- 
ral disturbance to them, by shooting the 
fish ; but as they kept at too great a dis- 
tance from me to, ha,ve notice of my design, 
and if I had followed them the fish might 
have escaped before my return, I was obli- 
ged to do as I did, which was without any 
possibility of hurting them. But as I had 
given them such a fright, I hoped they 
would this one day give me an opportunity 
of complimenting their guards with a fisli 
dinner, if we could any way contrive to 
dress it ; as it must be done close to a fire. 
They all shook their heads but my brother, 
who told me he had in his retinue six men 
from Mount Alkoe, purposely retained for 
their strong sight, to attend him always to 


ADVEJTTUIIES OF 


m 

Crashdoorpt, who, he believed, for the ben- 
efit of the rest w'ould undertake the cooke- 
r » . I desired him to order them to attend 
me, and I would instruct them at my land' 
irig place ; and then I crossed over with 
my booty. 

Finding the IMount Alkoe men waiting 
f'tr my landing, I asked if they could beat 
tlie sight of fire ; they told me they were 
u5ed to much greater light and flame than 
1 had ever seen, they believed. Very good, 
said I ; then get into my boat, three of you, 
and hand the fish to the shore. I found 
t!iey w’ere more afraid of the fish than the 
fire, for no one stirred till I got in and tos- 
sad out several small ones, and taking up a 
large one, help me, somebody, says I, they 
looking a little at one another, one ventur- 
ed to take it, when they all fell to work and 
despatched the whole lading presently. 1 
then laid a small parcel upon my cart, for 
iny own eating and the oflicers, and send- 
ing them to the grotto, I ga’^e the cooks 
their charge. 

Now, says I, my lads, do you serve all 
the rest of the fish as I do this — cutting it 
open at the same time, and throwing away 
the guts, and I will send each of you such 
an instrument as 1 use here pointing to rny 
knife. I shall order six large heaps of 
wood to the level to be piled up there ; 
when you have done the fish do you set firo 


PETI:R WILKINS. 


173 


to the heaps and let them burn till the flame 
is over and the coals are clear ; then la/ 
on your fish, and if any are too large to be 
manageable, cut them in proper pieces and 
with sticks that I will send you, turn them 
over and over, walking round the fire, and 
with the forked end of the stick toss the 
least off first, and afterwards the greater ; 
but be sure to throw the fish as far as ever 
you can, from the fire, amongst the men, 
that they may not be obliged to come too 
near it. In this manner go on, till either 
they have enough or the fish are gone, and 
then come to me at the grotto for your re- 
ward. 

I then set abundance of them at work to 
carry wood to be laid in six heaps, two hun- 
dred paces from each other, and told them 
how to pile it. I then prepared six long ta- 
per sticks with forked ends, and ordered 
more hands to divide the fish equally to the 
piles. I sent others with salt and bread ; 
and ordered them to let me know when all 
was ready. 

While these preparations were making, 
my tent-visiters had all dined, and my cart 
had returned with the beast fish, which the 
company desired might be brought in, and 
every one passed his judgment upon it and 
a long dissertation we had on the marvel- 
lous works of Colwar. 1 let them go on 
with their show, though I could have dis- 


174 


ADVENTURES OF 


proved most of their conclusions from the 
little knowledge that I had of things ; but I 
never was knight errant enough to oppose 
niy sentiments to a multitude already pre- 
possessed on the other side of the question, 
for this reason, because I have ever observ- 
ed that where several have imbibed the 
same ridiculous principle in infancy, they 
never want arguments, though ever so ridi- 
culous, to support it ; and, as no one of 
them can desert it witJiout impeaching the 
judgment of the rest, they encourage each 
other in their obstinacy, and quite out-vote 
a single person ; and then the laugh be- 
ginning on the strongest side, nothing is so 
difficult as to get it out of their hands ; but 
when a single naan in the wrong hears a 
just argument from a single antagonist, 
which he cannot contradict, he imbibes its 
force, and whilst that lasts, as nothing but 
a better judgment can remove it, he adopts- 
it for his own, to oppose against his own 
former opinion. 

In the height of our disputations on the 
beast fish, came news that the broil was 
going to begin ; and as I expected very 
good diversion at it, I invited the company 
to go see it, telling them, in my opinion, it 
would exceed the sport in taking them. — 
We passed through the wood till we came 
amongst the shrubs, where I placed them 
to be out of harm’s way ; and the fire which 


PETER WILKINS. 


i75 


was now nothing btit binder^, was of ho in- 
convenience to them* They were pleased 
with it to perfection j for, first, the si^c men 
who walked round the fires, by the glowing 
light of the embers^ and the shining of their 
graundees, looked like men on fire ; then, 
to see each fire surrounded with a circle of 
men at the distance of near two’ hundred 
paceS) as close as they could Well stand, 
by a more distant shine of the firCj had a 
more pleasing effect ; but when the broilers 
began to throw the fish about (for each, 
man stood with some salt and a cut of bread 
in his hand) to see a body of one hundred 
men running for it, and whilst they were 
stooping and scrambling for that, to see a 
hot fish fall on the back of one, which was 
whipped off by another^ who scalding his 
mouth with it, threw it in another’s face i 
when a fourth, fifth and sixth pulling it in 
pieces, ran away with it ; and to see the 
different postures, courses, and groupes, 
during this exercise and running feast, was 
the most agreeable farce my guests had ev- 
er seen ; and to the great saving of my 
liquors, kept us out in the wood for full 
three hours, not a soul stirring till the feast 
was over. 

We spent best part of this evening in' 
discourse on the passages of the day, the 
remarks on which not being concluded till’ 
bed-time, my adventures were put off til) 


ADVENTURES OP 


m 

the next night ; but we had first concluded 
upon a shooting for the next morning, for 
they were all extremely desirous of knowing 
how I did it, at a time they should have 
opportunity of seeing me and making re- 
marks ; and I being unwilling they should 
think me a conjurer, agreed to make them 
masters of part of the mystery of powder 
and ball. 


CHAPTER XXL 


This being the fifth morning, I cleaned 
up my best gun, and prepared my bails and 
we took a walk towards the bridge, every 
one admiring my gun as we went ; but I 
could get none of them to carry it, and we 
had at least five hundred questions propos- 
ed about it. I told them they need not be 
afraid of it, for it was only wood and iron ; 
but they knew nothing of iron. I then 
shewed them how I made it give fire, by 
snapping the lock ; they thought it was 
very strange. I then put a little powder in 
the pan, and made it flash, and showing 
them the empty pan, they would not be per- 
suaded but I had taken away the powder 


PETER WILKINS. 


177 


before the fiasii, or else, they said, it wns» 
impossible that it should be all gone upon 
flashing only ; for they said it was a little 
nut, using the same word to express both 
nut and seed. I then desired one of them 
to put in some powder and snap it himself, 
but having prevailed with him to try the ex- 
periment, if I had not through caution held 
my hand upon the barrel, the gun had been 
on the earth, for the moment it flashed, he 
let go and ran. 

I had a great inclination to gain the bet- 
ter of their prejudices, and used abundance 
of argutnents to prove the gun as innocent 
a thing as a twig I took up ; and that it was 
the powder, which, when set on fire, the 
flame thereof wanting more room than the 
powder itself did, forced itself and all that 
opposed it out of the mouth of the gun with 
such fury as to make the noise they heard ; 
and being just come to the rock, now, said 
I, you shalt see that what I tell you is true. 
They told me they desired nothing more 
than that I would let them understand it, 
for it was the strangest thing they had ever 
seen. Well, then, says I, observe; I put in 
this much powder only, and with a rag I 
stop it down close. JVow, says I, you see, 
by the length of this stick that the rag and 
powder take the space only of a finger’s 
depth on the inside of the gun. They saw 
that plainly, they said ; but how could that 


m 


ADVENTURES OF 


kill any thing ? Now look again says I. 
I put in a little more powder as I did be- 
fore when I made a flash, and you see there 
is a little hole from this powder through 
the side of the gun to the powder within, — 
Do you observe that tjiis communicates 
with that through tliis hole? — Yes, said 
they, thwey did. Now, says I, when I put 
fire to this, it sets fire to that within, which 
fire turning to flam.c, and wanting room, 
bursts out at the mouth of the gun ; and to 
show you with what force it comes out, 
handle this round ball (giving them a bullet 
to handle) you feel how heavy it is — now 
can any of you throw this ball as far as that 
rock; for I stood a good hundred paces from 
it. They told me, No, And don’t you 
think, says I, if the force of the fire 
made by this powder can throw a ball to 
that rock, that fitree must be very great? 
They said they thought it must, but be- 
lieved it to be impossible. But, says I, if, 
it not only throws it to the rock, but beats 
out a piece of the stone, must not that be 
much more violent? They agreed it must. 
Then putting in the ball, now, says I, wc 
%yill try. I then ordered one to daub part 
of the rock, about breast high, wdth some 
mud, and first to observe about it, if the 
rock was any where fresh broken or not ; 
who returning, reported that the rock was 
all of a colour and sound, but somewhat 


PETER WILKINS. 


179 


ragged all about the mud. Did you lay the 
mud smooth says 1. He replied, yes. 
Tlieii lilting up my gun, I perceived they 
were creeping oil’, so 1 took it down again, 
and calling, reasoned with them upon their 
fears. What mischief, says I, can you ap- 
prehend from this gun in my hand ^ should 
I be able to hurt you with it, are you not 
all my friends or relations, could I be wil- 
ling to do it? If the gun of itself could 
hurt, w'ould I handle it as I do r for shame, 
be more courageous, rouse your spirit and 
stand by me ; I shall take care not to hurt 
you. It looks as if you distrust my love to 
you, for this gun can do nothing but what 1 
direct. 

Jly such like persuasions rough and 
smooth, I prevailed upon the major part of 
the colambs and officers to stand near me 
to see me fire, and then I shot ; but though 
my words had engaged them to stand it, I 
had no sooner snapped but the graundees 
tiew all open, though they closed again im- 
mediately; and then we fell to question and 
answer again. 1 desired them to walk to 
the rock : and sent the person who put up 
file mark before, to see and show us exact- 
ly wjiat alteration there was ; he told us 
there was a round hole in the mud, point- 
ing to it, which he did not leave there, and 
taking away the mud, a thick sliver of tho 
rock folio w'cd it. They then all agreed, 


jLDVEN’TURES OF 


130 

that the ball must have made both the hoi© 
in the mud and also splintered the rock — 
and stood in a maze at it, not hein^ able 
to comprehend it ; but by all the art I liad I 
could not prevail with a man of them to fire 
the gun himself, till it had been buzzed 
about a good while and at last it came to my 
cars, that a com non soldier said he should 
not be afraid of it, if the gentleman would 
show him how. 

I then ordered the fellow to me, and he 
told me, with a composed look, that it had 
always been his w’ay of thinking, that what 
he saw another do he could do himself and 
could not rest till he had tried. And, sir, 
.says he, if this gun, as you call it, does not 
hurt you, why should it me ? And if you 
can make it hit that rock, why not I, when 
you have told me how you manage it? Are 
you not the man that first helped me up 
with the fish yesterday ? said I. He told 
me yes. 

I was prodigiously pleased with this fel- 
low’s spirit. And, says I, my friend, if you 
will, and I live, you shall hit it before you 
have done. I then showed him the sight 
of the gun, and how to hold it ; and being 
perfect in that. Now, says I, shut your left 
eye, and observe with your right, till this 
knob and that notch are exactly even with 
each other and the middle of that mark_; 
and when they are so pull this bit with your 


PETER WILKINS. l8t 

fore-finger, hold the gun tight to yolir 
s>hotilder. He so exactly pursued my di- 
rections, that he hit the very middle of the 
iDud; and then without any emotion, walk- 
ed up with the gun in his hand, as I had 
done before ; aiid turning to me very grave- 
ly, Sir, says he it is hit. I told him the 
best marsksman on earth could not be sure 
of coming so near his mark. He stroked 
his chin, and giving me the gun again, was 
walking to his place ; but I stopped him, 
and seeing him so modest and sincere, and 
besides, so generous in his spirits, I asked 
him to which colamb he belonged. He 
told me to colamb Pcndlehamby. To my 
father } Then I am sure I shall not be 
denied. 

I took him with me to my father, who 
was not yet come to the rock. Sir, says I, 
there is a favor I will beg of you. Son, 
Fays he, what is it you can ask, that I can 
refuse you ? Says I, this man belongs to 
your guard ; now there is something so no- 
ble and daring in his spirit, yet so meek in 
his deportment, that if you will load me 
with obligation, it is to make him an offi- 
cer ; he is not deserving so ill a station 
as a private. 

My father looking at me, son, says he, 
there is something to be done before he can 
be qualified for what you require. This, 
thinks I, is a put off. Pray sir, says I, 


182 


ADVENTURES OF 


what can a man of courage, sense, and a 
cool temper, want to quality him for what 
I ask ? Something,, says he, which none 
but myself can give ; and that, at your de- 
sire, I will supply him with. Then, my 
father calling him, Lask Nasgig, bonyoe, 
says he ; this is Slave Nasgig, lie down. 
Nasgig (for that was his name) immediate- 
ly fell on his face, with his arms and hands 
straight by his sides ; when my father, set- 
ing his left foot on Nasgig’s neck, pro- 
nounced these words : Lask. I give thee 
life, thou art a filgay! Then Nasgig rais- 
ed himself on his knees, made obeisance to 
iny father, and standing up, stroked his 
chin ; and my father taking him by the 
hand, in token of equality, the ceremony 
ceased. 

Now, son, says my father, let me hear 
your request? It is only, sir, said I, pre- 
ferment for the deserving, equal to his mer- 
it. My father asked him if he understood 
the duty of a gorpell. He did not reply 
yes, but beginning, gave a compendious 
sort of history of his whole duty ; at which, 
all the colambs were very much surprised, 
for even his comrades were not apprised, 
or even imagined he knew more of milita- 
ry affairs than themselves. My father 
then asked him if he knew how to behave 
as a duff ; but he made as little difficulty 
of that as the other, going through the scv- 


PETER WILKINS. 


183 


'^ral parts of the duty in all the different 
branches, in peace and war, at home and 
abroad. Son, says my father, it is a mys- 
tery to me, you should have found out 
more in an hour, than I myself could in 
half an age ; for this man was born in my 
}>alang, of my own lask, and has been mine 
and my father’s these forty years, I shall 
be glad if you will look on the rest of my 
lasks, and give me your opinion; I may 
have more as deserving. I told him such a 
Nasgig were not to be met with very of- 
ten; but when they were found, ought to 
be cherished accordingly. 

Sir says I, nature works upon the same 
sort of materials diverse ways; on some in 
sport, and some in earnest ; and if the ne- 
cessary qualifications of a great man are 
impressed on our mass, it is odds but wc 
improve regularly into one, though it may 
never be publicly known, or even to our- 
selves till a proper occasion : for as a cu- 
rious genius will be most inquisitive after, 
and is most in the end reientive of knowl- 
edge, so no man is less ostentatious of it. 
lie c?)vets knowledge, not from the pros- 
pect of gain, but merely for its own sake; 
the very knowing, being his recompense ; 
and if I may presume to give you a hint, 
how properly to bestow your favors, let it 
be on persons like this ; for the vain know- 
ing man, who is always showing it, as he 


184 


ADVENTURES OF 


for the most part labors for it, to show our 
with ; and procure his rise by it, weie it 
not for the hopes of that, would net think 
knowledge worth attaining ; and as his rise 
is his aim, if he could invent any more ex- 
peditious method than that, he would not 
pretermit any ill act, that might advance 
him according to his lust of rising. But tlie 
man who aims at perfection, from his natu- 
ral inclination, must, to attain his end, 
avoid all ill courses, as impediments to that 
perfection he lusts after ; and that by Nas- 
gig’s worth being so little known, i’ll an-, 
swer, it is his character. And this being 
true, yourself will deduce the consequence, 
which is the fitter man to bear place; for 
with me it is a maxim, he that labors after 
truth for truth’s sake, (and that lie surely 
must who proposes no worldly view in it) 
can’t arrive at his ends by false methods; 
but is always the truest friend to himself 
and others, the truest subject to his lord, 
and the most faithful servant to his God. 

My father then turning to me, son, says 
he, you have enlightened me more than ev- 
er I was before, and have put me on a new 
way of thinking ; for which 1 am to return 
you many thanks. And the whole company 
doing the same says my father, I lost a 
brave general officer lately, who was des- 
tined to the western wars, which are break- 
ing out, and have been long debating Ln my 


PETER WILKINS. 


las 

mind, to whom I should commit his corps ; 
and but for the hazard of the enterprise, I 
would have now given it to Nasgig ; but 
shall be loth to lose him so soon after I am 
acquainted with his worth ; so will think of 
some other post nearer my person for 
him, less dangerous, though perhaps not so 
honorable. 

Great sir, says Nasgig, I am too sensible 
of the honor already done me, to think 
any post wherein I may continue to serve 
you either too mean or too hazardous for 
me ; and as valor is no where so conspi- 
cuous as in the greatest dangers, I shall es- 
teem my blood spent to great advantage 
in any enterprise where my duty under 
your command leads me : 1 therefore ra- 
ther humbly request this dangerous post, 
that I may either lose my life in your ser- 
vice, or live to see you justified in your ad- 
vancement of me by the whole nation. — 
For what can Ido or how can I demonstrate 
my affection to your person and pleasure, in 
an inactive state ^ 

Here the whole level rang with applause 
to Nasgig. 

My lather then giving his hand to Nas- 
gig, in token of friendship, and his word 
for investiture in the comniand of that va- 
cant post, the whole level again resounded 
with, long live Pendlehamby, and his ser- 
vant Nasgig, 


186 


ADVENTURES Of* 


This being the last day of my company^^ 
stay, for they had agreed to go homewards 
next morning, some of them moved to re- 
turn the sooner, that they might have time 
to hear out my story. So that our stay was 
very little longer. 

In our return home, Nasgig singled me 
out, to return his acknowledgements for my 
favor ; and, viewing my gun, told me, 
they had no such thing growing in his 
country. I told him if he had it, it would 
do no good without my powder. I then, at 
his request, described what I had heard of 
our method of fighting in battle in Europe ; 
and mentioning our cannon, he said he sup- 
posed they killed every man they hit.— *- 
No, said 1, not so bad as that ; sometimes 
they hit the flesh only, and that is com- 
monly cured ; sometimes break a leg or 
arm, and that may in time be cured, some 
so well as to be useful again, and others are 
cut off) and healed up again ; but if the 
balls hit the head or vitals, it is commonly 
mortal. — O, says he, give me the head or 
vitals then ; no broken limbs for me. 

After dinner, at their request, I went on 
with my story at repairing the castle, and 
my escape with Glanlipze, and so on ; 
when I repeated his speech to me on a for- 
mer occasion, and told them it had made 
such an impression upon me that I had 
endeavored to make it the leading thought 


PETER WILEiNS. 


187 


t>f my mind, and had set it down upon one 
of my doors at the grotto that it might the 
oflener be in niy sight when any difficulty 
arose. 

One of the colambs begged pardon for 
interrupting, but told me though he under- 
stood what Glanlipze meant, he could not 
tell how I could set what he said down at 
my grotto, or have it in my si^ht, and de- 
sired me to explain that. I would have 
told him I took it down in writing, if that 
would not have puzzled the cause more } 
but to go the nearest way I could, I told 
him, we had a method in my country of 
conveying to a man at a great distance 
whatever we had a mind to say to him } 
and in such a manner, that nobody but him- 
self would know what we would have him 
know'. And pausing here a little, to con- 
sider the easiest method of demonstrating 
this to their senses, they told me they had 
gone as far as their conjectures could car- 
ry them, but could conclude on nothing so 
probable as sending it by a messenger. I 
told them, that in part wms the way ; but 
my messenger should not know the mes- 
sage he carried. That gravelled them 
ijuite, and they were unanimous that was 
w'hat could not be done. By this time I 
had sent for a wood-coal, to write with up- 
on my deal table ; and kneeling down to the 
table, I began to write, ‘‘Honored sir, I 


188 


adventures op 


send this to gain by your answer to it ac- 
count of your arrival at Arndrumnstake.” 
I then called them all to me: Now, says 
I, suppose I want to know how my father 
gets back to Arndrumnstake, my way is 
this : I set down so many words as will ex- 
press my meaning to iny father, after the 
manner you see on this table, and niake a 
little distance between each word, which is 
the same thing as you do in speaking ; for 
there, if you run one word into another, and 
don’t give each its proper sound, who can 
understand you ? For though you speak 
wnat contains all the words, yet, without 
the proper sound and distinction, it is only 
confusion. Do you understand that. ^ They 
told me they did. Then, says I, these are 
the words I would have my father know, I 
being at this arkoe, and he at Arndrumn- 
stake. Honored sir, and so I read on ; 
here, says I, you must take us to be coun- 
trymen, and that he and I understand both 
the same method. Now look, this word, 
which ends where you sec the gap, stands 
for honored, and this next for sir, the next 
for I, and so on ; and we both using the 
same method, and seeing each other’s 
words, are able to open our minds at a dis- 
tance. I was now in hopes I had done, 
and was going on with my story. But, says 
one of the colambs, Mr. Peter, though this 
is a matter that requires consideration, £ 


PETER WILKINS. 


)89 


plainly sec how you do it, by agreeing that 
all these strokes put into this form, shall 
stand for the word honoured, and so on, as 
you say, let who will niake them ; but 
have not you set down there the word Arn- 
drumstake ? Yes, says I. Why then, 
says he, none of your countrymen could 
understand what that means. No ! says I, 
smiling ; but they could. Says he, you 
say, you agree what stroke shall stand for 
one word, and what for another ; but then, 
how could your countryimen who never 
knew what strokes you would set down for 
Arndrumnstakc, know that your strokes 
meant that very country ! for that you 
could not have agreed upon before either 
of you knew there was any such a place. 

I w'as at a loss, without speaking more 
words than I was willing about it, how to 
answer this close reasoner ; and talking of 
syllables and letters, would only have per- 
plexed the affair more, so I told him the 
readiest for despatch : that as every word 
consisted of one or more distinct sounds, 
and as some of the same sounds happened 
in different words, we did not agree so 
much upon making our strokes stand for 
several words, as for several sounds ; and 
those sounds, more or less of them, added 
together made the particular words. As 
for example, says I, J2rn, is one sound, 
drumuj is anotiier sound, and stake, is an- 


190 


ADVEXTURnS OF 


other ; now, by our knowing how to set 
down these several sounds by themselves, 
we can couple them, and apply them to 
make up any word, in the manner we 
please ; therefore he, by seeing those three 
sounds together, knows I mean Arndrumn- 
stake, and can speak it as well, though he 
never heard the word spoken together, as 
if he heard me speak it to him. I have 
some little notion of what you mean, says 
he, but not clear enough to express myself 
upon it ; and so go on ! go on ! And pray 
what did you do about the reeds ? 

I then resuming my discourse where I 
left off', completed my narration that night ; 
but I could perceive the water in my fa- 
ther’s eyes, when I came to the account 
of Youwarkee’s fall, and the condition I 
took her up in. 

When I had done, they adjusted the or- 
der of their flight, for avoiding confusion, 
one to go so long before another, and the 
junior colambs to go first. 

In the morning nothing was to be heard 
but the gripsacks ; the men were all arrang- 
ed in order to go off with their respective 
colambs ; and after all compliments pass- 
ed, the junior colambs arising, walked half 
way to the wood, where his gripsack stand- 
ing to wait for him, preceded him to the 
level, the next gripsack standing ready to 
sonnd as soon as the first removed ; and 


PETER WILKINS. 


191 


this was the signal for the second colamb 
to move, so that each colamb was a quarter 
of a mile before the other. 

My father was the last but two, but I 
shall never forget his tenderness at parting 
with his daughter and grand-children, and 
I may say with myself too ; for by this time 
he had a high opinion of me. Patty went 
with my father, she so much resembling my 
wife, that my father said, he should still 
have his two daughters in his sight, having 
her with him. 

At parting, I presented Nasgig with a 
broadsword ; and showing him the use of it, 
with many expressions of gratitude on his 
part, and respect on mine, he took flight 
after the rest. 


CHAPTER XXII. 


For the first few days after our compa- 
ny left us, Youwarkee could not forbear a 
tear now and then for the loss of her father 
and sister, but I endeavored not to see it, 
lest I should, by persuading her to the con- 
trary seem to oppose what 1 really thought 


At)VENTUR£s OP 


m 

was a farther token of the sweetness ofhef 
disposition ; but it wore off by degrees, and 
having a clear stage again, it cost us sever- 
al days to set ourselves, and put our affairs 
in order ; and when we had done, we bles- 
sed ourselves that we could come and g 04 
and converse with the pleasing tenderness 
We had hitherto always done. 

Long days began to draw near again, 
when one morning, I heard the gripsack* 

I waked Youwarkee, and told her of it ; 
and we both got up, and were going to the 
level, when we met six glumms in the 
wood, with a gripsack before them, coming 
to the grotto. The trumpeter, it seems, 
had been there before ; but the others, 
who seemed to be of a better rank, had not. 
We saluted them, and they us ; and You- 
warkee knowing one of them, we desired 
them to walk to the grotto. 

They told us they came express from 
Georigetti’s palace, with an invitation to 
me and Youwarkee, to spend some time at 
his court. 1 let them know the misfortune 
1 lay under in not being born with a graun- 
dee, since Providence had pleased to dis- 
pose of me in a part of the world where 
alone it could have been of such infinite 
service to me, or I should have taken it for 
the highest honor to have laid myself at 
their master’s feet : and after some other 
discourse, one of them pressed me to return 


PETER WILKINS. 


m 

liis master my answer, for they had but a 
. very little time to stay. I told them, they 
saw plainly, by baring rny breast to them 
that 1 was under an absolute incapacity for 
.such a journey, and gratifying the highest 
ambition 1 could have in the world ; for I 
was pinned down to rny arkoe, never more 
to pass the barrier of that rock. On*e of 
them then asking, if I should choose to go, 
if it was possible to convey me thither, 1 
told him he could scarce have the least 
doubt, was my ability to perform such a 
journey equal to my inclination to take it, 
that 1 should in the least hesitate at obeying 
his master. Sir, says he, you make me 
very happy, in the regard you show rny mas- 
ter ; and i must beg leave to stay another 
day with you. I told him, they did me 
great honor ; but little thought what it all 
tended to. 

We were very facetious ; and they talked 
of the number of visitors I had had hc’e ; 
and they mentioned several facts which had 
happened, and, amongst the rest, that of 
jVasgig, v/ho, they said, since his return had 
been introduced by Pendlehamby to the 
king, and was, for his great prudence and 
penetration, become Georigetti’s great fa- 
vourite. They told mo war was upon the 
point of breaking out, and several other 
pieces of news, which as they did not con- 
cern me, I was very easy about 
9 


ADVENTURES OF 


5(94 

The next morning they desiring to walk 
and view what was most remarkable in my 
arkoe, and above all to see me fire my gun, 
which they had heard so much of ; I grati- 
fied them at a mark, and hit the edge of it 
and found them quite staunch, without the 
least start at the report. I paid them a 
compliment upon it, and told them how their 
countrymen had behaved, even at a second 
firing : But, says he, who was the chief 
spokesman, and knew, I found, as much as 
I could tell him, that second fright was from 
seeing death the consequence of the first; 
and though you bad then to do mostly with 
soldiers, you must not think they choose 
death more than others, though their duty 
obliges them to shun it less. 

The same person then desired me to show 
him how to fire the gun ; which I did, and 
believe he might hit the rock somewhere or 
other; but he did not seem to admire the 
sport, and I, having but few balls left, did 
not recommend the gun to the rest. 

A little before bed time, the strangers 
told me, they believed I should see Nasgig 
next morning. I presently thought there 
was something more than ordinary in his 
visit, but could no ways dive to the bottom 
of it. 

Just before they went to rest, they order- 
ed the trumpeter to be early on the rock 
next morning ; and upon the first sight of 


PETER WILK1,\S. 195 

Xasgig’s corps, to sound notice of it, for us 
to be ready to receive him. 


CHAPTER XXIII. 


We were waked by the trumpet giving 
notice of Nasgig’s coming ; I did not care 
to inquire of the strangers into the particu- 
lars of his embassy ; for be it what it will, 
thinks I, Nasgig is so much my friend that 
I can know the motives of it from him, and, 
or I am much deceived, he is too honest to 
impose upon me. But I had but liJtle time 
for thought, for upon our entering the level, 
we found him and his train, of at least an 
hundred persons, just alighting before us. 

We embraced, and professed the particu- 
lar pleasure fortune had done us in once 
more meeting together. When we arrived 
at the grotto, he told me he was assured F 
had been informed of the occasion of his 
visit ; and that it would be the greatest ho- 
nor done to his country that could be ima- 
gined. Pie then laid his hand on my 
beard, which was now of about five months 
growth, having never shaved it since my 
liither went, and told me he was glad to sea 


1'6 


AOTitNTUREa oaf 


that. And are you not so to see me t! saja 
1. Yes, surely, says he, for I prize that for 
vour sake. But, says I, pray be open with 
me, and tell me what you mean by my being 
informed of the occasion of your coming ? 
Vfhy, says he, of Georigetta’s message to 
you, as it will be of such infinite service to 
our country : and, says he, if you had not 
consented to it, the messengers had returned 
and stopped me. True, says I, one of the 
messengers told me the king w^ould be glad 
to see me ; which as I, so well as he, knew' 
it was impossible he should, in return to his 
compliment, I believe I might say what a 
liappiness it would be to me if I could wait 
(Ml him. But pray what is your immediate 
message ? for I hear you are in great favor 
at court, and w’ould never have come hither 
Avith this retinue in so much ceremony on a 
trifling account. 

My dear Peter, says Nasgig, know' that 
your fame has reached far and near since I 
.saw you before ; and our state, though a 
large and populous one, and one of might}' 
power and twice its present extent, by the 
revolt of the western part of it, who chose 
themselves a king, has been so miserably 
harrassed by wars, that the revolters, wdio 
are ever fomenting discontent and rebellion 
amongst us, will, by the encroachments 
they daily make on us, certainly reduce 
us at least to a province under their govern- 


PRTER WILKINS. 


101 


ment ; which render us all slaves to an 
usurped power, set up against our lawful 
sovereign. Now these things were foretold 
long enough before they actually begun to 
be transacted ; but all being then at peace, 
and no prospect of what has since happen- 
ed, we looked not out for a remedy, till the 
disease became stubborn and incurable. — 
Pray, says I, by whom were the things you 
mention foretold ? — By a very ancient and 
grave ragan, says he. How long ago ? 
says I. O, above four times the age of the 
oldest man living, says he. And when did he 
say it would happen ? says I. That, says 
he, was not quite so clear then. But how 
do you know, says I, that he ever said any 
such thing ? Why the thing itself was so 
peculiar, says he, and the ragan delivered it 
so positively, that his successors have ever 
since pronounced it twelve times a year 
publicly, word for word, to put the people 
in mind of it, and from whom they nrmst 
hope for relief ; and now the long expected 
time being come, we have no hopes but irt 
your destruction of the tyrant usurper. I 
destroy him ! says I : if he is not destroyed 
till 1 do it, I fear your state is but in a bad 
case. My good friend Peter says he, you 
or nobody can do it. Pugh, says I, Nas- 
gig, 1 took you for a man of more sense, 
notwithstanding the prejudices of education, 
than to think, because you have seen.ine kill 


198 


ADVENTURES OF 


a beast-fish that could not come to hurt me, 
at the distance of twenty paces, that I can 
kill your usurper at the distance he is from 
me. No, my good friend, says Nasgig, I 
know you tal^e me to have more judgment 
than to think so. Why, what else can I do, 
.says I, unless he will come thither to be kil-' 
led by me ? Dear Peter, says he, you will 
not hear me out. I will, says I, say on. — - 
You, as I said before, being the only person 
that can, according to our prediction, de- 
stroy this usurper, and restore peace among 
us, my master Georigetti,and the whole state 
of Normnbdsgrsutt, were going to send a 
splendid embassy to you ; but your father 
advising to repose the commission wholly in 
me, they all consented to it, and I am 
come to invite you over to Brandleguarp 
for that purpose. I know you will tell me 
you have not the graundee, and cannot get 
thither but I am assured you have what is 
far better ; the wisdom you have will held 
you to surmount that difficulty, which oui 
whole moucheratt cannot get over. And 1 
am sure, did you apply half the thought to- 
accomplish it, you seem to do to invent ex- 
cuses against ii, you would easily overcome 
that. And now, dear friend, continues he, 
refuse me not ; for as my first rise was ow- 
ing to your favor, so my downfall as abso- 
lutely attends your refusal. 

Dear Nasgig, says I, you know I love 
you, and could refuse you nothing in my 


PETER WILKINS. 


199 


power; but for me to be mounted in the air, 
I know not how, over these rocks, and then 
drowned by a fall into the sea which is a 
necessary consequence of such a mad at- 
tempt ; and all this in prosecution of a pro- 
ject founded upon an old wife’s tale, in such 
a chimera as all men of sense would laugh 
at ; as if there was no way of destroying me, 
but with a guard of an hundred men to 
souse me into the wide ocean. A very pret- 
ty conqueror of rebels I should prove, truly, 
kicking for life till the next wave sent me 
to the bottom. 

Nasgig looked then so grave, I almost 
thought 1 should have heard no more of it; 
but, after a short pause, Peter, says he, lam 
sorry you make so light of sacred things ; 
a thing foretold so long ago by a holy ragan, 
kept Up by Undoubted tradition ever since, 
in the manner I have told you, in part per- 
formed, and now waiting for concurrence 
for its accomplishment : but if I cannot pre- 
vail with you, though 1 perish at my return, 
i dread to think you may be forced without 
thanks to perform what generously to under- 
take will be your greatest glory. Pray, 
says 1, Nasgig, (for now I perceive you are 
in earnest,) what may this famous predic- 
tion be.^ Ah, Peter ! says Nasgig, to what 
purpose should I relate so sacred a predic- 
tion to one who, though the most concerned 
in itj makes such a jest of it ? 


■200 


ADVENT'UIIES 0 ^ 


His njentioiiing me as concerned in it, 
raised my curiosity once more to desire a 
relation of it. Why should I relate it, says 
he, if you are resolved not to fulfil it ? I 
fold him I had no resolution against any- 
thing that related to my own good or that 
of my friends. But the greatest question 
with me, says I, is, whether I am at all con- 
cerned in it. O, clearly I clearly ! say he, 
there is no doubt of it ; it must mean you or 
nobody. 1 told him I must judge by the 
words of it, that I was the person intended 
by it ; and till that was apparent to my rea- 
son, it would be difficult to procure my con- 
sent to so perilous an undertaking. And, 
says he, will you upon hearing it, judge im- 
partially, and go with mo if you can take 
the application to yourself ? I cannot go 
quite so far as that, says I ; but this I’ll prom- 
ise you, I’ll judge impartially, and if I can 
so apply it to myself, that it must necessarily 
mean me, and no other, and if you convince 
me I may go safely, I will go, 

Nasgig was so rejoiced at this, he was at 
a loss how to express himself. My dear 
Peter, says he, you have given me new life! 
our state is free ! our persons free ! we are 
free ! we are free ! And, Peter, say^ he, 
now I have given vent to my joy, you shall 
hear the prediction. 

You must know this holy ragan lived 
four ages ago ; and from certain dreams 


PETER WILKINS. 


1>01 


«Lnd reveldvioiis he had had, set hunstl * to 
overturn our country -worship of the Great 
image ; and by his sancti.y of life, and 
sound reasonings, had almost ejected ii un- 
der the assistance of Begsurbeck, then cur 
king, who had fully embraced his tenets ; 
but the rest of the ragans opposing him, and 
tinding he could not advance his schouie, he 
withdrew from the ragans to a close retire- 
ment for several years ; and just before his 
death, sending for the king and all the ra- 
gans, he told them he should certainly die 
tliat day, and that he could not die at peace 
till he had informed their, what had been re- 
vealed to him ; desiring them to take notice 
of it, not as a conjecture of his own, but a 
certain verity which should hereafter come 
to pass. Says he, you know you have re- 
jected the alteration in your religion I pro- 
posed to you ; and which Begsurbeck, here 
present, would have advanced ; and now I 
must tell you what you have brought upon 
yourselves. As for Begsurbeck, he shall 
reign the longest and most prosperously of 
all your former and future kings ; but in 
twice his time out-run, the west shall be di- 
vided from the east, and bring sorrow, con- 
fusion, and slaughter, till the waters of the 
earth shall produce aglurnm,vvith hair round 
tiis head, swimming and flying without the 
graundee ; who, with unknown fire and 
smoke shall destroy the traitor of the west, 
9 * 


ADVENTURES OF 


^02 

settle the ancient limits of the monarcliy, b/ 
common consent establish what I would 
have taught you, change the name of this 
country, introduce new laws and arts, add 
kingdoms to this state, and force tributes 
from the bowels of the earth, of such things 
as this kingdom shall not know till then, and 
shall never afterwards wmnt ; and then shall 
return to the waters again. Take care, 
says he, you miss not tlie opportunity when 
it may be had ; for once lost, it shall never, 
never more return ; and then, wo, wo, wo, 
to my poor country ! The ragan having 
said this, expired. 

This prediction made so great an impres- 
sion on Begsurbeck, that he ordered all the 
ragans singly before him, and beard them 
repeat it ; which having done, and made 
himself perfect in it, he ordered it to be 
pronounced twelve times in the year on par- 
ticular days, in the moueheratt, that the 
people might learn it by heart ; that they 
and their children being perfect in it, might 
not fail of applying it, when the man from 
the waters should appear with proper des- 
cription. 

Thus, Peter, says he, has this prediction 
been kept up in our memories as perfectly 
as if it had but just been pronounced to us. 
— ’Tis very true, says I, here may have 
been a prediction, and it may have been, as 
you say, handed down very exactly from 


PETER WILKiNS. 


-20S 


Bogsurbeck’s days till now ; but how does 
*hat. effect ;ne ; how arn I concerned in it? 
Surely, if any marks would have denoted 
me to be tlie man, some of the colambs who 
have so lately left me, and were so long 
with me, would have found them out in rny 
person, or among the several actions of my 
life I recounted to them. Upon the return 
of the colambs from you, says ?fasgig, they 
told his majesty what they had heard and 
seen at Graundevolet, and the story waS 
conveyed through the whole realm ; but 
every man has not the faculty of distinction. 
.\ow', one of the ragans, when he had heard 
of you, applying you to the prediction, and 
that to you, soon found our deliverer in 
you ; and at a public moucJieratl, after first 
pronouncing the prediction, declared him- 
self thereon to the following effect : 

May it please your maie.sty — and you 
the honorable colambs— the reverend ra- 
gans — and the people of this state, says he, 
you all kno\v that our famous king Begsur- 
beck, who reigned at the time of this pre- 
diction, did live sixty years after it in the 
greatest splendor, and died at the age of 
one hundred and twenty years, having 
reigned full ninety of them ; and herein you 
will all agree with me, no king before or 
since has done the like. You all likewise 
know that within two hundred years after 
Begsurbeck’s death, that is, about twice his 


^>04 


ADVENTURES OF 


reign of ninety years out-run, the rcbeilion 
i» the west hc^an, which has been carried! 
on ever since ; and our strength diminish- 
ing as theirs increases, we are now no i?iir 
match for them, hut are fearful of being un- 
done. So far YOU will agree matters have 
tallied with the prediction : and now’, to 
look forward to the time to come, it becomes 
us to lay hold of the present opportunity for 
our relief, for that, once slipped, will never 
return ; and, if I have any skill in interpre- 
tations, now is the time for our deliverance. 

Our prediction foretells the past evils, 
their increase and continuance, till the wa- 
ters of the earth shall produce a glumm. — 
Here I must appeal to the honorable co- 
lambs present, if the w’aters have not done 
so in the person of glumm Peter Graun- 
devoiet, as they have received it from jiis 
own report. 

All the colarnbs then rising, and making 
reverence to the king, declared it w’as most 
true. 

The next part, says the ragan, is, he is to 
be hairy round his head ; and how’ his per- 
son, ill this respect agrees with the predic- 
tion, 1 beg leave to he informed by tlie 
colambs. 

The colamhs then rising, declared, that 
having seen and conversed with him, they 
could not observe any hair on the fore-part 
of his head ; but I answered, that when S 


PETER WILKINS. 


205 


Ipft yoUj I well remember your having short 
stubs of hair upon your cheeks and chin ; 
which I had no sooner mentioned, than 
your father rose and told the assembly, that 
though he did not mind it whilst he was with 
you, yet he remembered that his daughter, a 
year before, had told him that you had hair 
on your face before, as long as that be- 
hind. 


I 


I’his again putting new life into the ra- 
gan, he proceeded — Then let this, says he, 
be put to the trial by an embassy, to glumm 
Peter, and if it answers, there will be no 
room to doubt the rest. Then, says the 
ragan, it is plain by the report of the co- 
lambs that glumm Peter has not the graun- 
dee. 

As to the next point, he is to swim and fly. 
Now I am informed he swims daily in a thing 
he calls a boat. To which the colambs all 
agreed. And now, says he, that he flies too, 
that must be fulfilled ; for every word must 
have a meaning, and that indeed he must 
do if ever he comes hither. I therefore ad- 
vise that a contrivance be somehow found 
out for conveving glumm Peter through the 
air to us, and then we shall answer that part 
of the prediction ; and I think, and do not 
doubt, but that may be done. 

Now, says he, let us see the benefit pre- 
dicted to us upon the arrival of glumm Peter. 
Our words are : Who, with unknown fir& 


506 


ADVENTURES OP 


and smoke, shall destroy the traitor of the 
west. What can be plainer than this ? For 
I again appeal to the colambs for his making 
unknown hre and smoke. 

Thus far, says the ragan, we have suc- 
ceeded happily towards a discovery of the 
person ; but it ends not here with the death 
of the traitor : but such other benefits are to 
accrue as are mentioned in the following 
part of the prediction : they are blessings yet 
to come and who knows the end of them. 

I hope, says the ragan, I have given satis- 
faction in what I have said, and shall now 
leave it to the care of those whose business 
it is to provide, that none of those woes pro- 
nounced against us may happen, by missing 
the time, which when gone, will never re- 
turn. 

The assembly were coming to a resolu- 
tion of sending you a pompous embassy, but 
your father prevailed for sending me only ; 
For, says he, my son thinks better of him 
than of the rest of our whole race. So this 
important affair was cofnmitted to me, with 
orders to prepare a conveyance for you, 
which I cannot attempt to do ; but shall re- 
fer myself to your more solid judgment in 
the contrivance of it. 

I had sat very attentive to Nasgig, and 
trom what he had declared, could not say but 
there was a very great resemblance between 
myself and the person predicted of ; But 


PETER WILKINS. 


207 


then, says I, they are idolaters : Providence 
would not interpose in this affair, when all 
the glory of its success must redound to an 
idol. But, says I, has not the same thi-ag 
often happened from occular presages, 
where the glory must redound to the false 
deity ; But, what if as is predicted, their 
religion is to be changed to the old ragan’s 
plan, and that will be to the abolition of idol- 
atry } I know not what to say ; but if I 
thought my going would gain a single soul 
to the eternal truth, I would not scruple to 
hazard my life in the attempt. 

I then called in Youwarkee, told her the 
whole affair of the prediction, which she had 
often heard, I found, and could have repeat- 
ed. I told her that the king and states had 
pitched on me as the person intended by 
their prediction, and that Nasgig was sent 
to fetch me over : And, indeed, says I, You- 
warkee, if this be a true prediction, it seems 
very applicable to me, as far as I can see. — 
Yes, truly, says she, so it does, now I con- 
sider it in the light you say the ragan puts it. 
Why, says I, prophecies and predictions are 
never so plain as to. mention names ; but yet, 
upon the solution, they become as intelligi- 
ble as if they did, the circumstances tally- 
ing so exactly. But what would you have 
me do ? Shall I, or shall I not, go ^ Go I 
says she, how can you go? — O, says I, nev- 
er fear that. If this is from above, means 


508 


ADVENTURES OF 


will soon be found ; Providence never di- 
rects eftects without means. 

Yoinyarkee, whose head ran only on the 
dangers of the undertaking, had a violent 
conflict with herself ; the love of me, of her 
children, of her country, divided her so, 
she was not capable of advising, I pressed 
her opinion again, when she told me to fol- 
low the dictates of my own reason ; And, 
but for the dread of losing you, and for my 
children’s sakes,says she, I should have no 
choice to make when my country is at stake ; 
but you know best. 

I told Youwarkce that I really found the 
prediction the plainer the more I thought of 
it ; and that, above all, the change of the 
religion was uppermost ; for if I can reduce 
a state from the misery and bondage of idol- 
atry, to a true sense of the Supreme Being, 
and seemingly by his own direction, shall f 
fear to risk my own life for it ; or, will he 
sufler me to perish till somewhat at least is 
done towards it ? And how do I know but 
tke whole tendency of my life has been by 
impulse hither for this very purpose ? My 
dear Youwarkee, says I, fear not, I will go. 

I called Nasgig, and told him my resolu- 
tion, and that he had nothing now to do but 
prepare a means of conveying rnc. lie said 
he begged to refer that to ir.c, for my owa 
thoughts would suggest to me botk the saf- 
est and easiest means. 


PETER WILKINS. 


209 


I wanted to venture on the back of some 
strong glumm ; when Nasgig told me, no 
one could endure my weight so long a flight. 
But what charmed me most was, the lovely 
Fouwarkee offered to carryme herself if she 
could ; And if I can’t hold out, says she, my 
dear, we can but at least drop both togeth- 
er. I kissed the charming creature with 
tears in my eyes, but declined the experi- 
ment. 

I told Nasgig I wanted to divide my weight 
between two or four glumms, which I be- 
lieved I could easily do ; and asked if each 
could hold out with a fourth part of my 
weight. He told me there was no doubt of 
that ; but he was afraid I should drop be- 
tween their graundees, he imagining I in- 
tended to lie along on their backs, part of me 
on each of them, or should bear so much on 
them as to prevent their flight. I told him I 
did not purpose to dispose of myself in the 
manner he presumed, but if two or four could 
undoubtedly bear my weight so long a flight, 
I would order myself without any other in- 
convenience to my bearers than their bur- 
den. He made light of my weight between 
four, as a trifle, and said, he would be one 
with all his heart. Nay, says I, if four can- 
not hold out, can eight ? He plainly told 
me, as he knew not what I meant, he could 
say nothing to it, nor could imagine how I 
could divide so small a body as mine into 


adventures ot 


eight different weights, for it seemed Impos 
sible, said he, to him ; but if I would show 
lilrn my method, he would then give me his 
x^pinion. 

I then, leaving him, took oUt my tools: I 
pitched upon a strong board my wife had 
jjcnt me ffom the ship, about twelve feet 
long, and a foot and a half broad 5 upon the 
middle of w’hich I nailed down one of my 
chairs ; then I took one cord of about thirty 
four feet long, making hand-loops at each 
end, and nailed it down in the middle to the 
under side of my board, as near as I could 
to the fore-end of it ; and I took another 
cord of the same length and make, and this 
[ nailed W'ithin three feet of the farther end 
of the board. I then took a cord of about 
twenty feet long, and nailed about three feet 
before the foremost, and a fourth of the same 
length at the farther end of my board ; by 
which means, the first and third ropes being 
the longest, and at such a distance from the 
short ropes, the glumms who held them, 
would fly so niuch higher and forwarder 
than the short rope ones, that they and their 
ropes would be quite out of the others’ way, 
which would not have happened if either the 
ropes had been all of one length, or nearer 
to or farther from one another : and then 
considering that if 1 should receive a sud- 
den jerk or twitch, I might possibly be shook 
off* my chair, I took a smaller rope to tie 


PEtEIl WILKINS 


an 

myself with fast to the chair, and then I was 
sure, if I fell into the sea, I should at least 
have the board and chair with me which 
might possibly buoy me up till the glumms 
could descend to my assistance. 

Having carried the machine down to the 
level, w’ith the help of two of Nasgig’s men^ 
he being out on a walk, and having never 
seen it, 1 ordered one of the men to sit up- 
on the chair, and eight more to hold by the 
loops and rise with him ; but, as I found it 
difficult at their first rising, not being able 
to mount all equally, to carry the board up 
even, and the back part rising first, the 
front pitched against the ground, and threw 
the fellow out of the chair: I therefore bade 
them stop, and ordering eight others to me, 
said I, Hold each of you one of these ropes 
ns high as you can over your heads ; then, 
says 1, to the eight bearers, mount on your 
graundees, and come round behind him in 
the chair gently, two and tw'o, and take 
each of you a loop, and hover with it till 
you are all ready, and then rise together, 
keeping your eye on the board that it rises 
neither higher at one end or one side than 
the other; and see you all feel your weight 
alike ; then fly across the lake and back a- 
gain. They did so, and with as much ease, 
they told me, as if they had nothing in their 
hands ; and the man rode with so much state 
and composure, he said, that I longed to try 


ADVENTURES OP 


it myself; so, shifting places with the glumm, 
I mounted the chair, and tying myself round 
I asked if any one knew which way Nasgig 
walked. One of them pointing to where 
he saw him just before in the wood, I or- 
dered them to take me up as before, and go 
that way. 

Upon coming to the place where I ex- 
pected Nasgig was, I hallooed and called 
him; who knowing my voice, ran to the skirt 
of the wood; and seeing me mounted in my 
flying chair, I jokingly told him I was going, 
if he had any commands; but he mounting 
immediately came up to me, and viewing 
me round, and seeing the pleasure the men 
seemed to carry me with, says he. Are you 
all sure you can carry him safe to Battrin- 
drigg? They all replied. Yes, with ease. 
This, then, says he, is your doom : If you 
perform it not, every one shall be slit ; but 
if you carry the deliverer safe, you are fil- 
gays every man of you! he verily thinking 
I was then going ofl“ ; but I undeceived 
him, by ordering them to turn about and 
set me down where I was taken up. 

Nasgig alighting, and viewing my con- 
trivance, This, Peter, says he, is but a very 
plain thing. It is so, says I, but it is as far 
as my ingenuity could reach. Ah, Peter! 
says he, say not so, for if the greatest diffi- 
culties as I and all my nation thought it 
would be to convey you to them, are so 


f£TER WILKINS 


213 


plain and easy to you, what must lesser 
things be ? No, Peter, I did not call it 
plain because it might be easily done when 
it Wcis seen, but in respect to the head that 
formed it ; for the nearest v/ay to attain one’s 
end is always the best, and attended for the 
most part with fewest inconveniences; and I 
verily think, Peter, though we believe the 
rise or fall of our state wholly depends on 
you, you must have stayed at Graundevolet 
but for your own ingenuity. Well, and when 
shall we set out ? says he. I told him it 
would take up some time to settle the affairs 
of my family, and to consider what I had 
best take with me ; and required at least 
three days, being as little as I could have 
told him for that purpose. 

Nasgig, who as he was an honest man, 
and for making the best for his patrons, was 
sorry it was so long, though he, i''»agining 
at the same time it was short enough for one 
\vho was to go on such an enterprise, was 
glad it was no longer ; and immediately de- 
spatched a trumpet express with notice, that 
on the fourth day he should be at the height 
of Battrindrigg, and that having myself 
formed a machine for that purpose, I would 
accompany him. 

I began next to consider what part I had 
to act at Doorpt Swangeanti, (for I neither 
could nor would call it by any other name 
when I came thither,) and what it was they 


214 


ADVENTURES OF 


expected from me. I am, says I, to kill a 
traitor ; good, that may be, but then I must 
take a gun and ammunition ; and why not 
some pistols and cutlasses ? If I cannot use 
them all, I can teach others who may : I 
will take several of them, and all my guns 
but two, and I will leave a pair of pistols ; I 
may return and want them. I will take my 
two best suits of clothes, and other things 
suitable ; for, if I am to perform things ac- 
cording to this prediction, it may be a long 
time before I get back again. Thinks 1, 
Youwarkee shall stay here with the children 
and if I like my settlement I can send for 
her at any time. I then began to see the 
necessity of making at least one more ma- 
chine to carry my goods on : And says I, 
as they will be very weighty, I must have 
more lasks to shift in carrying them, for I 
will retain sixteen for my own body-ma- 
chine, in order to relieve each other ; and 
as the distance is so great, I will not be 
stinted for want of fresh hands. 

Being come to this resolution, I called 
Nasgig,and ordered eight fresh lasks to at- 
tend my baggage ; these he soon singled 
out ; so, having settled all matters with mv 
wife, and taken leave of her and the chil- 
dren, I charged them not to stir out of the 
grotto till I was gone ; and leaving them all 
in tears, I set out with a heavy heart for the 
level, wiiere the whole convoy and my two 
machines waited for me. 


PETER WILKINS. 


215 


CHAPTER XXn^ 


When we came to the level, I desired 
Nasgig to draw all his a.eii into a circle as 
near us they could stand ; I then asked 
them who would undertake to carry me ; 
when not a man but proffered his servic'e, 
and desired to have the post of honor, as 
they called it. I told them my question 
was only in case of necessity to know whom 
I might depend upon, for my bearers were 
provided, saving accidents. But, my friends, 
says I, as you are equally deserving for the 
offered service, as if you were accepted, 
are any of you desirous of being filgays ? 
They all answered together, I, I, I ! — Nas- 
gig, says I, you and I must come to a ca- 
pitulation before I go, and your honor must 
be pledged for performance of articles. 

I began with telling them what an enemy 
I was to slavery ; And, says I, to Nasgig, 
as I am about to undertake what no man 
upon earth ever did before ; to quit rtiy 
country, my family, my every conveniency 
for life, for 1 know not what, I know not 
where, and from whence I may never re- 
turn ; I must be indulged, if I am ever so 
fortunate as to arrive safe in your country, 
in the satisfaction of seeing all these my fel- 


ADVENTURES OP 


low travellers, as happy as myself , for 
which reason,! must insist upon every man 
present alighting with me in safety ; beirtg 
made free the moment we touch the ground: 
and unless you will engage your honor for 
this, I will not stir a step farther. 

A^asgig paused for an answer, for though 
my bearers were his own tasks, and he 
could dispose of them at pleasure, yet as the 
rest were the king’s, he knew not how far 
he might venture to promise for them ; 
but being desirous to get me over the rock 
fearing 1 might still retract my purpose, he 
engaged to procure their freedom of the 
king. And this, 1 thought, w'ould make the 
men more zealous in my service. 

I then permitting them to take me up, 
we were over the rock as quick as thought : 
and W'hen I had a little experienced the 
flight, I perceived I had nothing to fear ; 
for they were so dexterous on the graundee, 
that 1 received not the least shock all the 
way, or scarce a wry position, though every 
quarter of an inch at hand made a consider- 
able deflection from the perpendicular. We 
shifted but twice till we came to Battrin- 
drigg ; the manner of which I directed as 1 
sat in my chair : for I ordered the new* men 
to hover over him he was to relieve, and 
reaching dowm his hand to meet the others 
which were held up with a rope, the old 
bearer sunk beneath the chair, and the re- 


PETER WILKIN’S. 


217 


liever took his course. This we did one by 
one till all were changed ; but there was 
one, a stout young fellow, at the first short 
rope on my right hand, who observing me 
to eye him more than the rest, in a brava- 
do would not be relieved before we arriv* 
ed at Battrindrigg arkeo ; and I afterwards 
took him into my family. 

As it was now somewhat advanced into 
the light season, I had hopes of a tolera- 
ble good prospect ; but had it been quite 
light, I should have never been the better for 
it. I had been upon very high mountains in 
the inland parts of Africa ; but was never 
too high to see what was below me before, 
though very much contracted ; but here, in 
the highest of our flight, you could not dis- 
tinguish the globe of the earth but by a sort 
of mist, for every way looked alike to me ; 
flien sometimes on a cue given, from an in- 
expressible height my bearers would dart 
as it were sloping like a shooting star, for 
an incredible distance, almost to the very 
surface of the sea, still keeping me as up-; 
right as a Spaniard on my seat. I asked 
them the reason of their so vast descent, 
when I perceived the labor they had after- 
wards to attain the same height again. — 
They told me they not only eased their 
graundees by that descent, but could fly 
half as far again in a day, as by a direct 
(they meant horizontal) flight, for though 




ADv^NTunes OF 


it seemed laborious to mount so excessively 
high, yet they went on at the same time at 
a great rate ; but when they came to de- 
scend again, there was no comparison in 
their speed. And on my conscience, I be- 
lieve they spoke true, for in their descents 
I think no arrow could have reached us. 

In about sixteen hours, for I took my 
w?itch with me, we alighted on the height 
of Battrindrigg ; when I thought I had re- 
turned to my own arkoe, it was so like it, 
but much larger. Here we rested four 
hours ; I opened my chest, and gave each 
of my bearers a drop of brandy. Nasgig 
and I also just wetted our mouths, and eat 
a piece of preserve to moisten us ; the rest 
of the lasks sitting down, and feeding up- 
on what they had brought with them in their 
colapets ; for their method is, when they 
take long flights, to carry a number of hard 
round fruits, flat like my cream-cheeses, 
but much less, which containing a sort of 
flour they eat dry ; then drinking, which 
swells, and fills them as much as a good 
meal of anything else would. Here we 
met with abundance of delightful pools of 
water on the vast flat of the rocks. They 
told me, in that arkoe the young glumms 
and gawreys came in vast flights separate- 
ly to divert themselves on the fine lakes of 
water, and from thence went sometimes as 


PETER WILKINS. 


219 


far as my arkoe, for that purpose ; but that 
was but seldom. 

When we had sufficiently rested, they 
shut their colapets, which sometimes hung 
down from their necks, and were sometimes 
swung round to their backs, and crossing 
the arkoe and another large sea, but no- 
thing comparable to the first, we arrived in 
about six hours more to the height of the 
White Mountains, which Nasgig told me 
were the confines of Georigetta’s territo- 
ries ; But thinks I, it may belong to whom 
it will for the value of it ; for nothing could 
be more barren than all the top of it was ; 
but the inside of it made amends for that, 
by the prodigious tall and large trees it a- 
bounded with, full of the strangest kinds of 
fruits I had ever seen ; and these trees 
most of them seemed to grow out of the 
very stone itself, not a peck of dirt being to 
be collected near them. Without-side of 
these mountains, it w'as scarce darker than 
at my arkoe ; for I made all the observa- 
tion my time would allow me to; when spy- 
ing at a vast distance several lights, which 
were unusual things to me in that country, 
they told me the largest was the burning 
mountain Alkoe ; this 1 remembered to 
have heard the name of, upon some former 
occasion, though I could not recollect what; 
and that the rest were of the same sort, but 
smaller. I asked if they were in Georiget- 


220 


ADVENTURES OF 


ti’s territories. They said no, they belong- 
ed to another king formerly, whose subjects 
were as fond of fire as Georigetti’s were of 
avoiding it ; and that many of them work- 
ed with it always before them, and made an 
insuflerable noise by it. 

At hearing the above relation, an impres- 
sion struck my fancy, that they might be a 
sort of smiths or workers in iron, or other 
metals ; and I wished myself with them, for 
I had a mighty notion of that work, having 
been frequently at a neighboring forge 
when a boy, and knew all their tools, and 
resolved to get all the information I could 
of that country some other time ; for our 
company drawing to their posts, and prepar- 
ing to set forward again, I could have no 
more talk now ; and you must know, I had 
observed so many idle rascals before I left 
England, who could neither strike a stroke, 
nor stir a foot, whilst you talk with them, 
that I feared if I asked questions by the 
way, they should in answering me neglect 
their duty, and let me drop. 

When we came near our journey’s end, 
Nasgig asked me where I would like to 
alight. I told him 1 thought at my father’s; 
for though I came on a visit to the king, it 
would not show respect to go before him just 
pfF a journey. But I might have spared me 
the trouble of settling that point ; for we 
were not gone far from the Black Moun- 


PETER WILKINS. 


221 


tain, it going by that name within side, 
though it is called the White without, before 
we heard the gripsacks, and a sort of squeak- 
ing or screaming music, very loud. Nas- 
gig told me the king was in flight. I asked 
him how he knew that, for I could see no- 
body. He knew it, he said, by the grip- 
sack and the other music, which never 
played but on that occasion ; and, presently 
after, I thought the whole kingdom were on 
the graundee, and was going to order my 
bearers back to the mountain, for fear of the 
concourse. Thinks I, they will jostle me 
down out of my civility, and I shall break 
rny neck to gratify their curiosity. So I told 
Nasgig, if he did not somehow stop the mul- 
titude, I would turn back for the mountain, 
for I would never venture into that crowd of 
people. 

Nasgig sprung away to the king, and in- 
formed him ; but the king fearing the peo- 
ple should be disgusted at his sending them 
back, gave orders for the whole body to file 
off to the right and left, and talking a vast 
sweep each way, to fall in behind me ; but 
upon no account to come near me, for fear 
of mischief. This was no sooner said than 
done, and all sjireading into two vast semi- 
circles, met in a train just behind my chair. 

Nasgig had also persuaded the king to 
retreat back to the palace, telling him it was 
not with me as with them, who could help 


-222 


ADVENTURES OF 


themselves in case of accident ; but as I was 
under the guidance of others, and on a 
foundation he should scarce, in my condi- 
tion, have ventured upon, he was sure 1 
should be better satisfied with his intended 
respect only, than to receive it there : But, 
says he, that your majesty mtay see his con- 
trivance, I will cause him to alight in the 
palace garden, where you may have the 
pleasure of viewing him in his machine. 

The king returning, ordered all the co- 
lambs, who waited my arrival, to assemble 
in council again ; and as I went over the 
city, I was surprised to see all the rocks of 
which it consisted quite covered with peo- 
ple, besides prodigious numbers in the air, 
all shouting out peals of welcome to me ; 
and as we were then but little above their 
heads, every one had something to say of 
me ; one wondering what I had got on ; 
another swearing he saw hair on my face as 
long as his arm ; and in general, everyone 
calling on the image for my safety. 

The king was present when I alighted in 
the garden ; and himself taking me from 
my chair, I bent on one knee to kiss his 
hand : but he took me in his arms, called 
me his father, and told me he hoped I would 
make his days equal in glory to his great an- 
cestor Begsurbeck. We complimented 
some time, before he took me into a small 
refectory in the garden, and gave me some 


PETER WILKINS. 


223 


of his sort of wine ; which I foun^ was Ioad-« 
ed with rams-horn,and some dried and moist 
sweetmeats. He then told me I had a 
piece of ceremony to go through, after 
which he hoped to have me to himself. I 
told him whatever forms of state were cus- 
tomary, they become necessary, and I should 
obey him. 

His majesty then called one of the per- 
sons in waiting, and telling him he was go- 
ing to the room of audience, ordered him 
to conduct me thither forthwith. 

Following my guide, after a long walk 
through a sort of piazza, we entered under" 
a stately arch, curiously carved, into a very 
spacious room, lighted with infinite number 
of globe lamps ; where he desired me to 
sit down’ on a round stone pedestal cov- 
ered with leaves, and all round the sides 
were running foliages exquisitely wrought ; 
on the walls were carved figures of glumms 
in several actions, but chiefly in battle, or 
other warlike exercises, in alto-relievo, very 
bold ; with other devices interspersed. I 
sat down, having first paid my submission 
to the throne, and to the several colambs 
who sat on the king’s right and left, down 
the sides of the room. 

The person then who introduced me, go- 
ing into the middle of the room, spoke to’ 
this effect : Mighty king — and you honor- 
able lords his colambs — here is present the 


224 


ADVENTURES OF 


glumm Peter of Graundevolct ; I wait your 
commands where to dispose him. 

Then the king and all the colambs aris- 
ing, another person stepped forth, and look- 
ing at me, for I was standing, Glumm Peter 
of Graundevolet; says he, I am to signify 
to you that the mighty king Georigetti, and 
all his honorable colambs, congratulate your 
arrival in Normnbdsgrsutt, and have com- 
manded me to give you rank according 
to your merit. Then the king and colambs 
sat down, and I was led to the king’s right 
hand, and placed on the same stone with, 
but at some small distance from, his ma- 
jesty. 

The king then told me the great pleasure 
I had done him and the colambs, in my 
so speedy arrival upon their message ; but 
said, he would give me no further trouble 
now, than to know how I chose to be serv- 
ed ; and desired me to give orders to a bash 
he would send to me, for whatever I want- 
ed ; and then giving orders to a bash to 
show me my lodgings, I was permitted to 
retire to refresh myself: 

I was then conducted to my apartment, 
up a sloping flight of stone, very long, with 
a vast arch over my head ; I believed it 
might be fifty paces long at least, but being 
a very broad easy ascent, and smooth, it 
was not ill the least fatiguing. All the way 
I went were the same sorts of globe lights 


PETER WILKINS. 


225 


as in the audience-room. The stair-case, 
if I may call it so, it answering the same 
purpose, was most beautifully carved, both 
sides and top ; at length I came into a very 
large gallery, at least four score paces long, 
and about twenty broad ; on each side of 
which hung the same globes. At the fur- 
ther end of this gallery 1 entered by an 
arch, very narrow, but most neatly wrought, 
into an oval room ; in the middle of this 
room, on the right hand, was another small 
neat arch-way ; entering through which 
about ten paces, there were two smaller 
arches to the right and left, and within them, 
wdth an easy ascent of about three paces, 
you come to a flat trough of stone, six or 
seven feet long, and about the same width; 
these, I understood by my bash, were the 
beds to lie on. I asked him if they were 
used to lie on the bare stone. He told me 
some did ; but he had orders to lay me on 
doffee; and presently up came four fellows 
with great matts, as I took them for by my 
globe-light, full of something, which by their 
so easily carrying so great bulk, I perceiv- 
ed was very light. They pitched it down 
upon my stone bedstead, and first with great 
sticks, and then with small switches having 
beat it soundly, retired. 

Whilst I was looking about at the oddity 
of the place, I found my bash was gone too. 
So, says I, all gone ! I suppose they intend 
10 ^ 


ADVENTURES OS' 


226 

I shall now go to bed. I then went 
my bed-chamber, for there was globe' 
lights there too, and observing my bed lay 
full four feet above the stone, and sloping 
higher to the sides and head, I went to feel 
what it was ; but laying rny hand upon it, it 
was so soft I could feel no resistance till I 
had pressed it some way ; and it lay so 
light, that a fly must have sunk upon it.— 
Well, thinks 1, what if I never lay thus be- 
fore, I believe 1 have lain as bad! 

I then took a turn into my oval room 
again, and observed the floor, sides, and all 
was stone, as smooth as possible, but not 
polished ; and the walls and ceiling, and in 
short every place, where they could be orna- 
mented, were as well adorned with carvings 
as can be conceived. 

Though nobody came near me yet I did 
not care to be too inquisitive all at once, but 
I longed to know what they burnt in the 
globes, which gave so steady a light, and 
yet seemed to be enclosed quite round, top 
and sides, without any vent-hole for the 
smoke to evaporate. Surely, thinks I, they 
j^re a dullish glass, for they hung almost 
above my touch, and must be exceeding hot 
with the fire so enclosed, and have some 
email vent-hole, though I can't see it. Then 
standing on tiptoe to feel, it struck quite 
cold to my finger ; but I could only reach 
to touch that, or any of the rest, being all of 
one height. 


PETER WILKINS. 


227 

i 

Whilst I was musing thus, 1 heard the 
sound of voices coming along the gallery ; 
and presently came a train of servants with 
as much victuals as an hundred men could 
eat, and wines proportionable ; they sat it 
down at the upper end of the oval room, on 
a flat of stone, which on making the room 
had been left in the upper bend of the oval 
quite across it, about table high, for that pur- 
pose. These eatables, such as were liquid, 
or had sauces to them, were served up in a 
sort of grey stone bowls ; but the dry were 
brought in neat wooden baskets of twig- 
work. 

The servants all retired into the gallery, 
except my bash. I asked him if any body 
was to eat with ir.e : he told me no. I 
wonder, says I, they should send me so 
much, then. He replied it was the allow- 
ance of my apartment by his majesty’s or- 
ders which silenced me. 

I believe there were twenty difierenl 
things on the table ; insomuch that I did 
not know where to begin, and heartily wish- 
ed for an excuse to get rid of my bash, who 
stood close at my elbow, that I might have 
smelt and tasted before I helped myself to 
any thing ; for I knew not what any one 
thing was. 

In this perlcxity, I asked my bash, what 
post he was in under his majesty. He said 
one of the fifly bashes appointed to be near 


228 


ADVENTURES OF 


the king’s favorites when at court. And 
pray, said I, are you the person to attend 
me ? He was, he said, the principal to wait 
on my person ; but there were at least sixty 
others, who had different offices in this a- 
partrnent. I would be glad, said I, to 
know your name, that I may the more read- 
' to you. He told me his name 



Then pray, Quilly, says I 


do you know what has become of my bag- 
gage and my chair ? I found, though he 
guessed at my baggage, he was puzzled at 
the name of chair ; my seat, says I. O, I 
understand you, says he. Then, pray, will 
you go bring me word of them, and see them 
brought safe up into the gallery. He trip- 
ped away on my errand. So, thinks I, 
now I am fairly rid of you ! but I had 
scarce turned any of my viands over, be- 
fore I found he had but stepped into the 
gallery, to send some of the idle fellows 
in waiting there ; and this putting me to a 
nonplus, Quilly, says I, you know I am a 
stranger here •, and as different countries 
have different ways and customs as well of 
dressing their eatables as other things, and 
these dishes being dressed contrary to my 
custom, I shall be glad if you will name 
some of them to me, that I may know them 
when I see them again. 

Quilly began with this, and run on to that, 
which was a fine dish ; and the other few 


PETER WILKINS. 


229 


but the king have ot their table : And here, 

says he, is a dish of padsi ; and there 

Hold, Hold, says I, Quilly ! let’s try these 
first before you proceed ; for I remember- 
ed at rny grotto, they all eat my fish for 
padsi, and I cut a slice of it, (for I always 
carried my clasp knife in my pocket, and 
they had no such thing there) and laying it 
on a round cake I took for my trencher, I 
tasted it, and found it so, to my apprehen- 
sion, in the palate ; but it did not look or 
flake like fish as I observed by the slices 
they had cut it into ; for all the victuals 
were in long slices ready to bite at. I ask- 
ed him if these things were not all cut, 
and with what ; (for I understand they 
liad no knives, showing him mine : he said 
the cook cut it with a sharp stone. I then 
asked him the names of several other things, 
and at last he came to crullmott ; which hav- 
ing heard of before, I now tasted, and could 
have sworn it had been a hashed fowl. I 
asked him if scrullmotts were very common; 
he told me yes, towards the bottom of the 
mountains there were abundance of crull- 
mott-trees. No, no, says I, not trees ; I 
mean fowls, birds. I don’t know what they 
are, said he ; but these crullmotts grow on 
very large trees. Indeed I did not know 
yet what I was at ; But, says I, if youi 
fowls do, sure your fish don’t grow on trees 
too ! We have none of them, says he, in 


230 


ADVENTURES OF 


» 

this country. Why, says I, it is but this 
moment I tasted one. 1 don’t know, said 
he, where the cook got it. Why, here 
says 1, what you call padsi I call fish. — 
Ay, padsi, says he, grows upon a bush in 
the same woods. Well done, says I, this 
is the first country I was ever in where the 
fish and fowl grew on trees : it is ten to ene 
but I meet with an ox growing on some 
tree by the tail before I leave you. 

I had by this time, out of these two and 
some other picking, made up a very good 
meal ; and putting my knife into my pock- 
et desired something to drink. My bash 
asked me what I pleased to have ; I told 
him any thing to take a good draught of. 
Then he filled me a butt of wine, very well 
tasted, though too sweet for meals ; but 
putting some water to it, it did very well. 

My messengers being returned, and hav- 
ing set all my things in the gallery, I desir- 
ed Quilly to let the victuals be taken away ; 
upon which there came more servants than 
dishes, who took all at once, but some wine 
and water I desired might remain. 

I told Quilly I saw there were two beds ; 
Who are they for ? says I. One for you 
and one for me, says he ; for we bashes 
never leave the king’s favorites. Pray, 
Quilly, says I, what is the meaning that to 
the several rooms I have been in, there is 
never a door ? Door ! says he, I don’t 


I’fi’TER WILKINS. 


231 


I 

! know that. What ; says I, donH you shut 

I your rooms at niglit ? No, no ! shut at 
night ! 1 never heard of that ! — I believe, 

! says I, Quilly, it is almost bed-time, is it 
not ? — No, no ! says Quilly, the gripsack 
has not sounded. How do you know, says 
I, in this country, when you shall lie down, 
and when arise ^ for my wife has told me 
you have no clocks. No ! no clocks ! 
says he. Then, says I, does every one 
rise and lie down when they please } or do 
you all lie down and rise together about 
the same time ? O, says Quilly, you will 
hear the gripsack presently ; there are sev- 
eral glumms who take it by turns to sound 
it for the rest, and then we know it is time 
to lie down ; and when they sound it again, 
we know it is ti.me to rise. And afterwards 
I found these people guessed the time (be- 
ing twelve hours between sound and sound) 
so well, that there were but few minutes 
variation at any time between them and my 
watch ; and I set my watch to go from their 
soundings at six o’clock. 

I found myself pretty much fatigued after 
my journey ; for though I had only to sit 
.still, yet the excessive velocity of such an 
unusual motion strained every muscle as 
much as the hardest labor ; for you may 
imagine, I could not at first be without my 
fears upon ever so small a variation of my 
chair ; which, though I could not possibly 


232 


ADVENTURES OF 


by rny own inclination one way or other 
rectify, yet a natural propensity to a per- 
pendicular station involuntarily biases one 
to incline this or that way in order to pre- 
serve it : and then, at first, my breath be- 
ing ready to fail me in proportion to the ce- - 
lerity of the flight, and to my own appre-.?h| 
hensions, and being upon that exercise near 
thirty hours, and without sleep for almost 
forty, you may judge I wanted rest ; so 1 
told Quilly I would lie down, and ordered 
him not to disturb me till I waked of myself. 

I could not prevent the ofiiciousliess of 
my valet to put me to bed, and cover me 
with the down, or whatever it was ; for 
having no sheets, I pulled off nothing but 
my coat, wig, and shoes, and putting on my 
flannel nightcap, I laid me down. 


PETER WILKINS. 


233 


CHAPTER XXV. 


I HAVE known some travellers so peculiar 
in their taste, as not to be able to sleep in 
a strange lodging ; but thanks to my kind 
stars, that did not prove my case ; for hav- 
ing looked on my watch when I went to 
bed, as I called it, and finding it was down, I 
wound it up, and observed it began to go at 
about three o’clock, whether day or night, 
matters not : and when I waked it was past 
nine ; so that I knew I had slept eighteen 
hours and finding that a very reasonable re- 
freshment, and myself very hungry, I called 
Quilly to get me my breakfast. 

Quilly told me his majesty had been to 
visit me, but would not have me disturbed. 
I begged him to despatch my breakfast as 
soon as possible, and let me have some wa- 
ter for my hands ; he ordered the gallery- 
waiters, and every thing came immediately. 

My breakfast was a brown liquid, with a 
sort of seeds or grain in it, very sweet and 
good ; but the fear of the king’s return be- 
fore I was ready for him, prevented my in- 
quiring into what it was : so having finished 
it, and washed my hands, Quilly presented 
me a towel, which looked like an unbleach- 
ed coarse linen, but was very soft and spon- 


234 


ADVENTURES 07 


gy; and I found afterwards was made of 
threads of bark stripped from some tree. I 
put on my brown suit, sword, and long wig, 
and sent Quilly to know when it was his 
majesty’s pleasure I should wait upon him. 

I had been so much used to lamp-light in 
ray grotto, that the lights of this gloomy 
mansion did not seem so unusual a thing to 
me as they would have been to a stranger. 
The king sent me word he would admit me 
immediately, and Quilly was my conductor 
to his majesty’s apartment. 

We passed through the gallery, at the 
further end of which was a very beautiful 
arch even with the stair-case, through which 
Quilly led me into a large guard-room 
wherein were above an hundred glumms 
posted in ranks with their pikes in hand, 
some headed with sharp-pointed stones, 
others with multangular stones, and others 
with stone globes. Passing through these 
we entered another gallery as long as that 
to my apartment: then under another arch 
we came into a small square room, carved 
exceedingly fine ; on the right and left of 
which were two other archvvays leading 
into most noble rooms; but we only saw 
them, passing quite across the little room, 
through an arch that fronted us into a small 
gallery of prodigious height; at the further 
end of which Quilly turning aside a matt, 
introduced and left me in the most beautiful 


PETER WILKINS. 


235 


place in the universe ; where neither see- 
ing nor hearing any body stir, I employed 
myself in examining the magnificence of 
the place, and could, as I then thought, 
have feasted my eyes with variety for a 
twelve-month. I paced it over one hundred 
and thirty of my paces long, and ninety- 
six broad : there were arches in the middle 
of each side, and in the middle of each end; 
the arch ceiling could not be less than the 
breadth of the room, and covered with the 
most delightful carvings, from whence hung 
globe-lights innumerable, but seemingly 
without order, which I thought appeared 
the more beautiful on that account. In the 
centre of the room hung a prodigious clus- 
ter of the same lights, so disposed as to re- 
present one vast light; and there were sev- 
eral rows of the same lights hung round 
the room; one row above another at prop- 
er distances : these lights represented to 
me the stars, with the moon in the middle 
of them ; and after 1 came to be better ac- 
quainted with the country, I perceived the 
lights were to represent the southern con- 
stellations. The arch-ways were carved 
with the finest devices imaginable, gigantic 
glumms supporting oiti each side of the ped- 
iments. At every ten paces, all along the 
sides and ends, arose columns, each upon a 
broad square base, admirably carved ; 
these reached to the cornice or base of the 


S36 


ADVENTURES OF 


arched ceiling quite round the room. On 
the pannels between each column, were 
carved the different battles and most re- 
markable achievements ofBegsurbeck him- 
self. Over the arch I entered at, was the 
statue of Begsurbeck, and over the opposite 
arch the old prophetic ragan. In the mid- 
dle of the room stood a long stone-table 
lengthwise, most exquisitely carved, almost 
the length of the room, except where it was 
divided in the middle about the breadth of 
the arch-ways, in order for a passage from 
one arch to the other. In short, to describe 
this one room particularly, would make a 
volume of itself. 

I staid here a full hour and half, wonder- 
ing why nobody came to me; at length 
turning myself about, I saw two glurnms 
coming towards me, and having received 
their compliments, they desired me to walk 
in to the king. We passed through another 
middling room, and taking up a matt at 
the further side of it, I was conducted in 
where his majesty was sitting with another 
glumm. They both rose at rny entrance, 
and calling me their father, and leading me, 
one by each hand, obliged me to sit down 
between them. 

After some compliments about rny jour- 
r^iey, and accommodation since, the king 
told me I had not waited so long without, 
but he had some urgent despatches to make; 


PETER WILKINS. 


mi 

and as he chose to have me in private with 
' him, he imagined, he said, I would be able 
to divert myself in the boskee. I declared 
I had never seen any thing like it for gran- 
deur and magnificence before ; but the 
beauty of the sculpture, and disposition of 
the lights, were most exquisite. 

All this while I felt the other glumm 
handling my long wig, and feeling whether 
Ip it grew to my head, or what it was ; for he 
had by this time got his fingers under the 
caiilj and was pulling my hair down ; when 
I turning about my head, Glumm Peter, 
says the king, don’t be uneasy, the ragan 
will do you no hurt, it is only to satisfy his 
i curiosity ; and I chose to have the ragan 
I here, that we may more leisurely advise 
with you what course to take in the present 
; exigencies of my state. I have fully heard 
the story of your travels from my colambs, 
and we have returned thanks to the Great 
; Image for bringing you, after so many ha- 
1 zards and deliverances, safe to my domin- 
ions for our defence. 

The ragan desired to know whether all 
that hair (meaning my wig) grew upon my 
: head or not . I told him no, it was a cov- 
: ering only, to put on occasionally ; but that 
i hair did grow on my head, and pulling off 
ray wig I showed them. The ragan then 
asked me if I had hair of my own growing 
under that too, (meaning my beard, which 


ADVENTURES OF 


he then had in his hand, for their glumms 
have no beards ; but 1 told him that grew 
there of itself. O parly Pulyl, says the ra- 
gan, rising up, and smiting his hands to- 
gether, It is he ! It is he ! 

Pray, says I, ragan, who is this Puly you 
speak of ? It is the Image, says he, of the 
great Colivvar. Who is that ? says I. — 
Why, he that made the world, says he. — 
And, pray, says I, what did his image 
make ? O, says he, we made the image. — 
And, pray, says I, can’t you break it again? 
Yes, said he, if we had a mind to be struck 
dead, we might ; for that would be the im- 
mediate consequence of such an attempt ; 
nay, of but holding up a finger against it 
in contempt. Pray, says I, did ever any 
body die that way ; jVo, says he, no one 
ever durst presume to do it. Then, per- 
haps, said I, upon trial, the punishment you 
speak of might not be the consequence of 
such an attempt. Pray, says I, what makes 
Collwar have such a kindness for that im- 
age ? Because, says he, it is his very like- 
ness, and he gives him all he asks for us ; 
for we only ask him. Why, says he, it is 
the image that has brought you amongst us. 

I did not then think it a proper time to 
advance the contrary to the person I then 
had to do with, so I was sure it would have 
done no good ; for a priest is only to be con- 


PETER WILKIKS. 


239 


vinced by the strongest party ;so Ideferred my 
argument on that headto a fitter opportunity. 

Most admirable Peter, says the king, 
you arc the gluinm we depend upon to fulfil 
an ancient prediction delivered by a venera- 
ble ragan. If you will, Ragan I. O. shall 
repeat it to you, and therein you will be able 
to discern yourself plainly described, in not 
only similar, but the express words I myself, 
from your story, shall describe you in. 

In good earnest, 1 had from divers circum- 
stances concluded that I might be the per- 
son ; and resolved, as I thought I had the 
best handle in the world for it from the pre- 
diction, to do what I could in the affair ol' re- 
ligion, by fair means or stratagem, (for I was 
sensible my own single force would not do 
it) before I began to show myself in their 
cause or else to desert them ; and having had 
a small hint from Nasgig of what the old ra- 
gan’s design was in part, and which I approv- 
ed of, I purposed to add what else was ne- 
cessary as part of his design, if his propo- 
sals had been approved of 

I told the king I would excuse the ragan 
the repetition of the prediction, as I had 
partly been informed of it by Nasgig ; and 
that conceiving myself, as he did, to be the 
person predicted of by the ragan, I had tlio 
more readily set out on this expedition, 
which nothing but the hopes of performing 
so great & good could have prevailed with 


ADVENTUnES OP 


mo 

me to undertake ; and I did not doubt, with 
God’s blessing, to accomplish it. The king 
grew exceeding joyous at what I said, and 
told me he would call a moucheratt at 
which all his colambs should attend, to have 
their advice, and then we would proceed to 
action ; and ordered the ragan to let it be 
for the sixth day, and in the mean time that 
he and his brethren should, day and night, 
implore the image to guide their delibera- 
tions. 

Nasgig then coming in, I told him he was 
now under my command, and must take 
six hundred glumms with him to Graunde- 
volet ; tell Youwarkee to show him my ship, 
and then he must bring me the things I 
had described to her by the name of can- 
non ; he must bring them by ropes, as I 
was brought ; and bring powder, which she 
would direct him to, and the heavy balls, 
which lay in the room with the powder. I 
told him if he thought he should not have 
men enough, he must take more ; and must 
be as expeditious as was consistent with 
safety, 1 desired him to tell Youwarkee I 
hoped in a short time to send for her, and 
all the family over to me. And now, Nas- 
gig, says I, my orders are finished. Then 
I took rny leave of him, and he set out for 
Graundevolet. 


PETER WILKINS. 


241 


CHAPTER XXVI. 


The tenth day Nasgig arrived, whilst I 
happened to be in the king’s garden ; and 
hearing the trumpet coining before,! called 
out to him to give Nasgig notice where I 
was, and to desire him to alight there. 

I then introduced Nasgig to the king as 
the person to whose conduct the safe arrival 
of my cannon was owing. His majesty em- 
braced him, told him the service he had 
done him was so great, and his manage- 
ment of it so prudent, he should from thence- 
forth take him into his peculiar confidence 
and esteem. 

Nasgig thanked his majesty for his ac- 
ceptance of that act of his duty, and desired 
to know when he pleased the operations for 
the campaign should begin. Ask my father, 
says the king ; do you conduct the war, and 
let him conduct you. 

Then Nasgig desired to know \Vhat rium- 
ber of troops would be requisite. I asked 
him what number the enemy had : he said, 
about thirty thousand. Then, says I, take 
you six only, besides the bearers of me and 
the artillery ; and pick me out fifty of the 
be.st men you have, as a guard for my person 
and send them to me. 

11 


ADVENTURES 0? 


m 

^ .Mi 

I showed these men my cutlasses and pis-^ 
tols, and showed them the use and manage^ 
ment of them : and, says I, as our enemies 
fight with pikes, keep you at a distance first 
and when you would assault, toss by the 
pike with your hand, and closing in have 
at the graundee ; and this edge, (showing 
them the sharpness of it) will strip it down 
from shoulder to heel ; you need strike but 
once for it, but be sure to come near enough; 
or, says I, if you find it difficult to turn aside 
the pike, give it one smart stroke with this, 
it will cut it in two, and then the point being 
gone, it will be useless. 

These instructions,says I,if rightly observ- 
ed, will make us conquerors, 

■{ The next thing was to settle the order of 
my march, which I did in the following 
manner ; and, taking leave of the hing, I 
set out. 

First, Ten companies of one hundred men, 
including officers with each a gripsack, in 
ten double lines, fifty abreast, 

Secondly, Four hundred bearers of the 
cannon, with two hundred to the right, the 
like to left, as relays. 

Thirdly, Two hundred men with the amr 
munition, stores, hatchets, and other imple- 
ments, 

Fourthly, Fifty body-guards, in two lines. 

Fifthly, Myself, borne by eight, with 


PETER WILKINS. 


243 


twelve on the right, and as many on the left, 
as relays. 

Sixthly, two thousand men in columns, on 
each side the cannon and me, fifty in a line, 
double lines. 

Seventhly, one thousand men in the rear, 
fifty in a line, double lines. 

I consulted with Nasgig, how the rebel 
General Harlokin’s army lay, that I might 
avoid the revolted towns, rather choosing to 
take them in my return ; for my design was to 
encounter Harlokin first, and I did not doubt 
if I conquered him, but the towns would sur- 
render of course. 

When we arrived within a small flight of 
his army, I caused a halt at a proper place 
for my cannon, and having pitched them, 
which I did by several flat stones, one on 
another, to a proper elevation, I loaded 
them, also and my small arms, consisting of 
six muskets, and three brace of pistols, and 
placing my army, two thousand just behind 
me, two thousand to my right, and the same 
number to my left ; I gave a strict com- 
mand for none of them to stir forward with- 
out orders, which Nasgig, who stood just 
behind me, was to give. I then sent a de- 
fiance to Harlokin by a gripsack, who sent 
me word he fought for a kingdom, and 
would accept it ; and, as I heard after- 
wards, he was glad I did ; for .since the in- 
telligence I had scattered in his army, they 


244 


ADVENTURES OF 


had in great numbers deserted him, and he 
was afraid it would have proved general. I 
then putting the end of a match into a pis- 
tol pan with a little powder, by flashing, 
lighted it ; and this 1 put under my chair, 
for I sat in that, with my muskets three on 
each side, a pistol in my right hand, and five 
more in my girdle. In this manner I wait- 
ed Harlokin’s coming, and in about an hour 
we saw the van of his army, consisting of 
about five thousand men, who flew in five 
layers, one ovor another. I had not loaded 
my cannon with ball, but small sized stones, 
about sixty in each ; and seeing the length 
of their line, I spread my cannon’s mouths 
somewhat wider than their breeches, and 
then taking my observation by a bright 
star, for there was a clear dawn all around 
the horison, I observed, as I retired to my 
chair, how that star answered to the eleva- 
tion of rny cannon ; and when the fore- 
most ranks, who not seeing my men stir, 
were approaching almost over me to fall on 
them, and had come to my pitch, 1 fired two 
pieces of my ordnance at once, and so 
mauled them,that there dropped about ninety 
upon the first discharge, together with their 
commander; the rest, being in flight, and so 
close together, not being able to turn fast 
enough to fly, being stopped by those be- 
hind them, not only hindered those behind 
from turning about, but clogged up their 


PETER WILKINS. 


2i3 


own passage. Seeing them in such a pro- 
digious cluster, I so successfully fired two 
more pieces, that I brought down double the 
number of the first shot ; and then giving 
the word to fall on, my cutlass-guard and 
the pikemen did prodigious execution. But 
fearing the main body should advance be- 
fore we had got in order again, I command- 
ed them to fall back to their former stations, 
and to let the remainder of the enemy go 
off. 

This did me more good in the event, than 
if I had killed twice as many ; for they not 
only never returned themselves, but flying 
some to the right, some to the left, and pass- 
ing by the two wings of their own army, con- 
sisting of six thousand men each, they sever- 
ally reported, that they were all that was left 
of the whole van of the army ; and that the 
prediction would certainly be fulfilled, for 
that their companions had died by fire and 
smoke. This report struck such terror into 
each wing, that every one shifted for himself 
and never appeared more. 

The main body consisted of about ten 
thousand men, knowing nothing of what had 
happened to the wings, (for Harlokin had 
ordered the wings to take a great compass 
round to enclose us) hearing we were but a 
handful, advanced boldly ; and as I had or- 
dered my men not to mount too high, the 
enemy sunk to their pitch. When they. 


ADVENTURES OF 


‘i46 

came nearer, I asked Nasgig who led them, 
if it was Harlokin. He told me no, his gen- 
eral, but that he was behind ; and JVasgig, 
begging me to let him try his skill with the 
general, I consented, they not being yet 
come to the pitch of my cannon. Nasgig 
immediately took the graundee, and advanc- 
ing singly with one of my cutlasses in his 
hand, challenged the general in single com- 
bat. He, like a man of honour, accepting 
it, ordered a halt and to it they went, each 
emulous of glory, and of taking all the advan- 
tage he could, so that they suddenly did not 
strike or push ; but sometimes one, then the 
other, was uppermost, and whirling expe- 
ditiously round, met almost breast to breast ; 
when the general, who had not a pike, but 
pike staff, headed with a large stone, gave 
JVasgig such a stroke on his head, that he 
reeled and sunk considerably ; and I began 
to be in pain for him, the general lowering 
after him. But Nasgig springing forward 
beneath him, and rising light as air behind 
the general, had gained his height again, be- 
fore the general could turn about to discern 
him, and then plunging forward, and receiv- 
ing a stroke across his left arm, at the same 
time he gave the general such a bloNv near 
the outside of the shoulder, as slit the graun- 
dee almost down to his hip, and took away 
part of the flesh of the left arm, upon which 
the general fell fluttering down in vast pain 


PETER WILKINS. 247 

Very Hear me ; but not before N^Sgig^ in his 
fall, descending had taken another severe 
cUt at him. 

Immediately upon this defeat Nasgig again 
took his pliiCe behind me, our army shouting 
to the skies ; bUt no sooner had the general 
dropt, but On came Harlokin, with majesty 
and terror mixt in his looks ; and seeming 
to disdain the air he rode on^ Waved his men 
to the attack with his hand. When he came 
near erioUgh to hear me, I called him vile 
traitor, to oppose the army of his lawful 
sovefeign, telling him, if he would submit, 
he should be received to mercy. Base 
Creeping irisect ! says Harlokin, ifthou hast 
aught to say to’ me worth hearing, meet me 
in the air. — ^This hand shall show thee soon 
who’ll most want mercy : and though I 
scorn to stnop id thee myself, this messenger 
shall satisfy tHfe \yorld thoU art ari imposter, 
and send thee lifeless back to the fund king 
that sent thee hither.— With that hh hurled 
a javelin pointed with flint, sharp Us a 
needle, at me ; but I avoiding it, This, then, 
says I, if Words will hot do, shall justify the 
truth of our prediction. And then’, levelling 
a musket at him, I shot _ him through the 
very heart, that he fell dead within twenty 
paces of me ; but perceiving another to take 
his room, notwithstanding the Confusion 
my musket rhade rimongst them, I fan id my 


ADVENTURES OF 


match, and giving fire to two more pieces of 
ordnance at the same time, they fell so thick 
about me, that I had enough to do to escape 
being crushed to death by them ; and the liv- 
ing remainder separating, fled quite away, 
and put an end to the war, I waited in the 
field three days, to see if they would make 
head again ; but they were so far from it, 
that before I could return, as I found after- 
wards, most of the revolting provinces had 
sent their deputies, who themselves carried 
the first ne\ys of the defeat, to beg to be re- 
ceived into mercy : all of whom were detain- 
ed there till my return with Harlokin’s head. 

At my return to Brandleguarp, I was met 
by the king, the colambs, and almost the 
whole body of the people ; every man, wo- 
man and child, with two sweecoe lights in 
their hands ; which unusual sight in the air 
gave me great alarm, till I inquired of Nas- 
gig what it meant, who told me it must cer- 
tainly be a sweenooan, or he knew not what 
j,t was. I asked again what he meant by that, 
he told me it was a particular method of re- 
joicing he had heard of, but never seen ; 
wherein, if the king goes in triumph, all the 
people of the Brandleguarp, from fifteen to 
sixty, are obliged to attend him with swee- 
coes. He said, it was reported nmongst them 
that in Begsurbeck’s time there were two of 
them, but there had been none since. 


PETER WILKINS. 


240 


When we met them, I perceived they had 
opened into two lines or ranks of a prodigious 
length ; at the larther end of wliich was the 
king with innumerable lights about him ; the 
whole looking like a prodigious avenue or 
vista of lights, hounded at the farther end, 
where the king was, with a pyramid light. 
'"J’his had the most solenm and magnifeent 
effect on the eye, that any thing of liglit could 
possibly have ; but as w'e passed through the 
ranks, each of the spectators having two 
lights, one was given to each soldier of the, 
whole army. And then to look backwards,^ 
as well as forward, the beauty of the scene 
was inexpressible. We inarched all the 
way amid the shouts of the people, and the 
sounds of the gripsacks, going very slowly 
betw^eenthe ranks : and at length arriving at 
the pyramid, where the king was, I heard 
abundance of sweet voices, chaunting my 
actions in triumphal songs ; but I could take 
little notice of these, or of my son with his 
flagelet amongst them, for the extravagant 
appearance of the pyrarrud, which seemed to 
reach the very sky. For, fir.st, there was a 
long line of a full half mile, which hovered 

O , ' 

at even height with the tw'o side ranks ' in 
the centre of that, and over it, was the king 
single ; over him, another line, shorter than 
the fir.st, and again over that, shorter and 
shorter lines 5 till at a prodigirjus height, it 
11 * 


250 


AU\*ENTURES Ot 


ended in one single light. These allho'Vei'-^ 
ingjkept their stations; while the king darted 
a little space forward to meet me, and con- 
gratulate my success ; then turning, and 
preceding me, the whole pyramid turned, and 
marched before us, singing all the way to 
the city; the pyramid changing several times 
into divers forms, as into squares, half moons, 
with the horns sometimes erect, and again 
reversed, and various other figures ; and yet 
amongst this inhnile number of globes, there 
was not the least glaring or offensive light ; 
but only what was agreeable to the people 
themselves. As the rear of the army entered 
the lines, they closed upon it and followed us 
into Brandleguarp. While we passed the city 
to the palace, the whole body of the people 
kept hovering, till the king and myself were 
alighted ; and then every one alighted where 
he best could. All the streets and avenues 
to the palace were blocked up with people, 
crowding to receive the king’s benificence ; 
for he had proclaimed a feast, and O'Pen 
house-keeping to the people for six days. 
The king, the colambs, ragans, and great 
officers of state, with myself, had a magnifi- 
cent entertainment prepared up in Begsur- 
beck’s great room ; and his majesty, after sup- 
per,being very impatient to know how the bat- 
tle went, I told him, the only valorous exploit 
was performed by my friend Nasgig, who 


PETER WILKLXS. 


251 


opened tlie way to victory, by the slaughter 
ofllarlokin’s general. Nasgig then rose, de- 
siring only that so much might be attributed 
to him, as fortune had accidentally thrown 
into his scale; f)r it might have been equally 
his fate, as the general’s, to have fallen ; 
But except that skirmish, says he, and some 
flying cuts at the van, we have had no en- 
gagement at all, nor have we lost a single 
man ; Peter only sitting in his chair,and com- 
manding victory : he spake aloud but thrice, 
and whispered once to them ; but so power- 
fully, that having at the two first words laid 
above three hundred of the enemy at their 
lengths, and brought Hailokin to his feet, 
with a whisper, at the third word he conclu- 
ded the war. The whole time, from the first 
sigiit of the enemy to their total defeat, took 
not up more space than one might fairly 
spend in traversing his majesty’s garden. 
In short, sir, says Nasgig, your majesty needs 
no other defence against public or private 
enemies, as I can see, than Peter ; and my 
profession, whilst he is with us, can be of 
little use, to the state. 

After these compliments from Nasgig, and 
separate ones from the king, and the rest, I 
told them, it was the highest felicity to me to 
he made an instrument by the great Collwar, 
in freeing so mighty a kingdom and consider- 
able a people from the misery of a tyrannical 


2-52 


ADVENTURES 0? 


power. You live, says I, so happily under 
the mild government of Georigetti, that it is 
shocking but to think into what a distressed 
state you must have fallen under the powerof 
an usurper, wlio, claiming all as his own by 
way of conquest, would have reduced you to 
a miserable servitude. But, says I, there is, 
and I am sorry to see it, still amongst you, 
an evil that you great ones feel not, and yet 
it cries tor redress. Are we not all, from the 
king to the meanest wretcji amongst us, 
formed with the same members f Do we 
not all breathe the same air ? inhabit the 
same earth ? Are we not all subject to the 
same disorders? and do we not all feel pain 
and oppression alike ? Have we not all the 
same senses, the same faculties ?and in short, 
are we not all equally creatures of, and ser- 
vants to the same master, the greatCoIlwar ? 
Would not the king have been a slave, but 
for the accident of being begotten by one 
who was a king ? and would not the poorest 
creature arnongstyou have been the king had 
he been so begotten ? Did you great men, by 
any superior merit before your births, pro- 
cure a title to the high stations in which you 
are placed ? No, you did not. 'J’heiefore 
give me leave to tell you what I would have 
done. As every man has equal right to the 
protection of Collwar, why, when you have 
no enemy to distres.s you, will you distress one 


PETER WILKINS. 


253 


another ? Consider, you great ones, and act 
upon this disinterested principle ; do to an*- 
other, what you, in his place, would have him 
do to you : dismiss your slaves, let all men be 
wliat Collwar made them, free. But if this 
unequal distinction amongst you, of man and 
man, is still retained, though you are at pre- 
sent free from the late disaster, it shall be suc- 
ceeded with more, and heavier. And now, 
that you may know I would not have every 
man a lord, nor every one a beggar, remem- 
ber, I would only have every serving-man at 
liberty to choose his own master, and every 
master his own man : for he that has property 
and benefits to bestow will never want depen- 
dants, for the sake of those benefits to serve 
liim, as he that has them not must serve for 
the sake of obtaining them. But then let it 
be done with free-will ; he that then serves 
YOU will have an interest in it, and do it, for 
his own sake, with a willing mind ; and you, 
who are served, will be tenderer and kinder 
to a good servant, as knowing by a contrary 
usage you shall lose him. I desire this may 
now be declared to be so, or your reasons, 
if any there are, against it. 

One of the ragans said, he thought I spoke 
what was very just, and would be highly ac- 
ceptable to Collwar. 

''fhon two of the colambs rose to speak 
togotlicr, and after a short compliment who 


254 


ADVENTURES OP 


should begin, tliey both declared they only 
arose to testify their consents. 

The king referring it to me, and the co- 
lambs consenting, I ordered freedom to be 
proclaimed through the city ; so that every 
one appeared at their usual duties, to serve 
their own masters for a month, and then to 
be at liberty to come to a fresh agreement 
with them, or who else they pleased. 

This, sir, says I to the king, will now be a 
day of joy indeed, to those poor hearts who 
would have been in no fear of losing before, 
let who would have reigned ; for can any 
man believe a slave cares wiio is uppermost ? 
he is but a slave still. But now, says I those 
who were so before, may by industry gain 
property ; and then their own interest en- 
gages them to defend the state. 

There is but one thing more I will trouble 
you with now — and that, says I to the ra- 
gans, is, that we all meet at the mouch to- 
morrow, to render Collwar thanks for the 
late, and implore future favour. And this 
passed without any contradiction. 

We spent the sixth-day feast in every 
gaiety imaginable, and especially in dancing, 
of which they were very fond, in their way ; 
but it was not so agreeable to me as in my 
own country way, there being too much an- 
tic in it. New deputies daily arrived from 
the revolted towns ; and several little repub- 
lics, not claimed by Georigetti before, beg- 


PEttR WILKINS. 


256 


gcd to be taken under his protection ; so 
that in one week, the king saw himself, not 
only released from the dread of being driven 
from his throne, but courted by some, sub^ 
mittcd to by others, and almost at the sum- 
mit of glory a sovereign can attain to. 

When this great victory had been obtain- 
ed, and the kingdom was now settled, my 
next care was to bring my wife to Georiget- 
ti's court. The king accordingly at my de- 
sire sent messengers after her and we were 
soon established in great peace and prosperi- 
ty, honoured, and patronized by the king, 
and our society sought by the first people of 
the country. 


266 


ADVENTURES OF 


CHAPTER XAVIT 


After this I lived at Brandleguarp tcr> 
years, and njy children were all provided for 
by the king but Dickey, as fast as they were 
qualified far employn ent, and such as werc' 
fit for it were married off' to the best allian-s 
ees in the country ; so that 1 had only to sit 
down, and see every thing I had put rny 
hand to prosper, and not an evil eye in the 
three kingdoms cast at me ; but about rry 
eleventh or twelfth year, my wife falling into 
a lingering disorder, at the end of two year'? 
it carried her off. This was the first real af- 
fliction I had suffered for many years, and so 
soured my temper, that I became lit for noth- 
ing, and it was painful for me even to think 
of business. 

The king’s marriage had produced four 
children, three son’s and a daughter, which 
he would frequently tell me were mine. 

My melancholy for the death of my wife, 
which I hoped time would wear off, rather 
gained ground upon me ; and though I was 
as niuch regarded as ever by the whole 
court, yet it grew troublesome to ire even 
to be asked my advice ; and it not only sur- 
prised those about me, but even myself, to 
see the same genius, without any visible na- 
tural decay, in so short a time, tVon the most 


fETER WILKINS. 


257 


sprightly and enterprizing, become the most 
phlegmatic and inactive. 

Mylongings after my native country, ever 
since my wife’s death, redoubled upon me, 
and I had formed several schemes ofgettine 
thither. 

At length, being tired and uneasy, I resol- 
ved, as I was accustomed to flight and loved 
it, I would take a turn for some days ; carry 
me where it would, I should certainly light on 
some land, whence at worst I could but come 
back again. I then went to see if my chair 
board, and ropes, were sound, for I had not 
used them for several years past ; but I found 
them all so crazy, I durst not venture in them, 
which disappointment put off* my journey for 
some time. However, as 1 had still the 
thought of remaining, it put me on seeking 
some other method to put it in practice ; so 
I contrived the poles from which you took 
me, being a sort of hollow cane the Swan- 
geantines make their spearsof, but exceeding 
strong and springy, which, interwoven with 
small cords, were my seat, and were much 
lighter than my chair ; and these buoyed me 
up when your goodness relieved me. I had 
taken Mount Alkoe bearers, as I knew I 
must come to a country of more light ; and 
I now find, if I had not fallen, I must soon 
have reached land, if we could have held 
out, for we were come too far to think of re- 
turning, without a resting-place ; and what 


26^ iDVENtURES^ StC^ 

will beconie of my poor bearers, I dr^ad to 
think ; if they attempted to return, they 
must have dropped, for they had complained 
all the last day and night, and had shifted 
very often. If in your history you think fit 
to carry down the life of a poor old man any 
farther^ you will as well know what to say of 
me as I can tell you ; and I hope what I 
have hitherto saidj Will in some measure re-^ 
compense both your expense and labour. 


EXPLANATION 


Of 7^‘'ames and things mentioned in this 
wai'ky translated from the language of the 
flying Islanders. 


A 

Abb, a room. 

Arndrumnstake, Pendlehamby^g colambat, 
Arkoe, water surrounded ’Vvith wood. 

B. 

Barkat, a husband. 

Barras, a leather apron, of flap behind. 
Bash, a valet de chatnbre.,. 

Battringdrigg, the name of an arkoe. 
Begserbeck, an old king of Sass Ooorpt 
Swangeanti. 

J5orn Isles, islands to the right hand. 
Boskee, a very grand room, or saloon. 
Bott, a gourd. 

Bougee, lie down. 

ikandleguarp, chief city of Saas^ Doorpt 
Swangeanti. 


260 


C. 

Collentar, a doctor, or surgeon. 

Cluff, a captain. 

Colamb, a governor. 

Colapet, a bag for provision. 

Collwar, God. 

Coovett, a mansion-house or seat. 
Crashdoorpt, Quangrollart’s colambat, or 
country of the slit. 

Crashee, slit. 

Crullmot, a fruit tasting like a fowl. 

David, Peter’s fourth son. 

Doorpt Swangeanti, the land of flight 
Doors, a sort of apples. 

Dossee, a soft thing. 

E. 

Emina, a rock. 

F. 

Felbanko, Oniwheskie’s nephew 
Filgay, a freeman. 

Filis, a rib of the graundee. 

Gadsi, governor of Mount Alkoe. 
Gauingrunt,4i revolted town in the wet. 
Gawrey, a flying woman. 

Georigettijking ofSaas Doorpt Swangeanti. 
Glanlipze, an African who escaped with 
Peter. 

Glumm, a flving man, 


261 


1!r 


Glumm Boss, a youn^ man. 

Goppa, a father-in-law. 

Gorpell, an ensign. 

Gowren, women. 

Graundee, the glunim’s wings and dress. 
Gripsack, a trumpet. 

Graunde volet, Peter’s arkoe. 

Gume, the leather between the filuses of the 
graundee. 

H. 

Hallycarnie, Youwarkee’s sister, also her 
second daughter. 

Harlokin, prince of the rebels. 

Hoximo, a place to bury the dead. 
Hunkum, marriage. 

/. 

I. O., the chief regan. 

J. 

Jahamel, the king’s sister. 

Jemmy, Peter’s second s6n. 

L. 

Lallio, first king of Saas Doorpt Swangeanti . 
Lask, a slave. 

Laskmett, slavery. 

Lasmeel, Peter’s scholar. 

M. 

Maleck, Peter’s man from Mount Alkoc 
Mindrack, the devil. 

Mooch, a church. 

Moucheratt, an assembly of the states. 


262 


Mount Alkoe, a kingdom taking name from 
a burning mountain. 

Nasgig, a common soldier, made a general 
at the request of Peter. 

Normnbdsgrsutt, ancient name of Youw^r- 
kee’s country. 

0 . 

Ors clamm gee, here am I. 

Padsi, a fruit tasting like fish. 

Palang, a town. 

Parky, sweet. 

Patty, Peter’s eldest daughter. 

Pedro, Peter’s eldest son. 

Peter, the author. 

Pendlehamby, Yourwarkee’s father, the co- 
lamb of Arndrumnstake. 

Puly, an image. 

Praave, modest. 

Q. 

Quangrollart, Youwarkee’s brother, colamb 
of Crashdoorpt. 

Quilly, Peter’s fbash. 

R. 

Hagan, a priest. 

Razy, mighty. 

Richard, Peter’s fifth son. 

Roppin, marmalade. 

Rosig, Quangrollart’s companion. 


‘263 


S. 

Sary, Peter’s youngest daughter. 

Sass Doorpt Swangeanti, Peter’s new name 
given to Georigetti’s dominions. 

Slip the graundee, drawing the graundee 
tight to the body, by a running noose on 
a line. 

Stapps, minutes. 

Stygee, Oniwheske’s daughter. 

Sweecoe, an insect giving a strong light in 
the dark, 

Sweecoan, a flight with sweecoes, 
Swanzean, flight. 

T. 

Tommy, Peter’s seconn son. 

F. 

Yacom, a man child. 

Youk, capital of the west, 

Youwarkee, Peter’s wife, 

z, 

2^aps, lords. 


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